A Touch of Magic
by Fynnion
Summary: Kiba Rolf Scamander was abandoned by his parents at a Muggle Orphanage called Leverton's. He has lived his life without knowledge of his heritage or the Magic world until a man enters the orphanage to change his life for ever. Can he face the dangers and trials that this Newfound world has to offer? Maybe.. but not on his own! Read AN at Start. Rated M:Adult Themes/Language/Gore
1. Chapter 1: The Boy in the Orphanage

Heya Everyone

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its Characters or its story and am, in no way, having a Financial gain from this Story!

Alright i I know what you're thinking _'another Harry Potter story?!'_ the answer is yes but as you might have seen in the title this will be an _interactive_ story.

what does that mean? simple. you can request a character via **PM! (Private Messaging)** and i will add them to the story in one way or another.

Here's how: (*= not necessarily needed)

Name:

Age:

Personality:

House*:

Wand*:

Pet and name*:

Love interest*:

anything you want to add:

Message me this and your character might get featured.

and secondly there will be 3 love interests for the main character: Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood and a childhood friend. I'm not sure as to who he will end up with, if at all, and how their relationships will develop.

i called my Character Kiba Rolf Scamander because i like the name Kiba more then Rolf, but Rolf Scamanders is a Canon Character who, in Cannon, marries Luna Lovegood and has Twin Sons. However, since this is my 'OC' his personality and story will be nothing but Fiction!

with that being said I'll begin working on the start of the story, get ready for an update within the next few days!

that's all, k thx bye!

* * *

Chapter 1: The Boy in the Orphanage

Kiba sat on the Rooftop of the bleak old building which had been his home for his entire life with his Twelfth Birthday fast approaching on November 8th. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the pattering Rain around him, the younger Orphans happily jumping outside in the small puddles that had formed. He looked into the sky as the Raindrops struck his face. Unaware of who he was, of what he was.. yet.

Kiba's eyes wandered across the busy street before him, the countless people dressed in fine suits not even giving a sideways glance towards the home for parentless children. It had never bothered him as such, it only disgusted him how so many could take their life's for granted. The loud screeching outside known as Madam Helaway stopped his train of thought, though he couldn't make out her words but he guessed she was yelling something about getting sick or something.

Kiba carefully stood up on the angled roof and dared a quick look over the edge. No more jumping, no more laughs, the children were silent as they walked inside. Kiba quickly jumped through the small atticwindow and closed it behind him. He opened the trap door and made sure no one was watching and climbed down landing on the small table in the corner of the hall and dropped down to the floor making sure to close the trap door properly.

Kiba had found the attic on accident many years ago but only since he was nine was he able to climb up into it. He walked through the hall and turned a corner to head for the stairs but someone stood in his way. The Girl had her hands behind her back an leaned for ward looking up at the taller Boy with a wide smile. "whatcha up to, Wolf" she asked, she tilted her head slightly and one or two of her black locks fell infront of her Emerald eyes,she closed them and widened her grin as she tilted her head a little further.

"nothing Faye, just heading down for dinner time" The red haired boy replied, the Girl opened her eyes and looked deep into his Hazal brown ones.

"I've been looking all over for you, I've got important stuff" she said as she turned to walk down the stairs beside Kiba. The two entered the dining room getting the usual glances from the others, even though the two were the oldest they weren't well liked, or was that the reason? They usually sat at one of the tables as just the two of them, which was mostly opportune to talk privately. "So," Faye began once the two had gotten their food, the que was always youngest to oldest so they were the last, "A man came in today" she said "dressed in a fine suit, sleek black hair, big golden ring and a silver wrist watch"

"he take anyone?" Kiba asked as his eyes travelled across the room "No, was he considering someone?" he questioned as he took a bite from his bread. A confident smirk appeared on Faye's face

"i listened in on his and Madams conversation, and he said he was looking for a Girl" she said, Kiba looked a little less excited then before but was still eager to hear more "he's coming back with his wife to talk and maybe 'borrow' one of the girls for a day" Faye was beaming with joy as spoon after spoon of soup entered her mouth.

"Who do you think they'd pick" Kiba asked, Faye brushed one of her black locks out of her face and looked around

"Jessica." She said "the man looked like he'd go for a blonde," Kiba smiled at her as she rambled about who might get picked and why "… and besides she's pretty for her age"

"You could be picked to," Kiba said "i mean your funny and smart" Faye stopped what she was doing as heat rushed to her cheeks, she quickly looked down at her plate and continued eating to hide her embarrassment. "promise me something" Kiba said "if you ever get a chance to leave this place, don't stay here for me"

Faye looked into his eyes seemingly losing herself in them for a second, "only if you promise to do the same" she replied holding out her pinky to her friend, he smiled and locked his with hers. She giggled as they sealed their promise.

"Eat up now, plates in the kitchen in 5 minutes, Full our empty" Helaway screeched at all the children.

That following day, Kiba sat at the desk in his room getting some writing done when he heard Madams voice in the hall accompanied by that of a Man.

'can it be the man Faye spoke of?' he asked himself, he crept to his door and dared a look down the hall. A tall man with red hair stood across from Madam Helaway and Sister Crawford, from Kiba's perspective he stood between them, meaning he could see him from the front. He was a slender man, a white shirt with a black tie accompanied a set of brown pants and jacket, the later of it hung over his arm while his hands sat comfortably in their respective pant pocket. Above his lip he sprouted a light moustache, also red. He followed Madam into her office and was followed by Crawford.

Kiba, as silently as he could, snuck out of his room and towards Madams office, he placed his ear to the door to listen.

"Honestly, Mr. Lupin, i never expected anyone to come for that little troublemaker"

"well i want any better in my youth," the man replied "we boys are like that"

"he's a darling boy when he tries to be, sir" Crawford told him with her soft voice

"what exactly is it you want with him?" Madam asked

"I'm here on behalf of Professor Dumbledore to simply, have a chat with the boy" he said "i have something for him"

"well you can give it to me and I'll ensure it reaches him" Madam hissed at the Man

"i'd rather give it to him myself" he replied "May i speak with him then?"

"Ill take you to him ," Sister Crawford said "right this way"

Kiba made his way back to his room as fast as he possibly could and say back down at his desk. Only moments later, there was a knock on his door. 'He can't be here for me' Kiba taught

"Kiba?" Crawford's soft voice echoed through his room "someone's here to talk to you" she opened the door and the red haired man stepped in.

"Hello there" he said, he looked over his shoulder at Crawford she smiled and left the room closing the door behind her. "May i sit?" he asked pointing at the boys bead, Kiba nodded and the man sat down.

"Have you come to take me away?" Kiba asked,

"No" he replied "My name is Remus John Lupin and i am here on behalf of Albus Dumbledore" he said

"Who is that?" Kiba asked

"he's Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the finest Warding school" he replied

"and why have you come to me?" Kiba asked

"i think you know," he answered "You're special aren't you? You can do things others can't, right?"

"i can make things move without touching them" Kiba replied "and i made bird explode once, because i was angry. But i didn't mean to"

"Well Kiba, i am special to, like you" Lupin replied "and Hogwarts is a place for people like us, where we are taught how to use and control what makes us.. Special." He added

"i don't believe you," Kiba said "your one off those Therapists too right?" Lupin chuckled but continued to look at the Boy. Kiba suddenly heard the sound of a pencil dragging across parchment beside him, his pencil was moving, on it's own, and it was writing 'im not a therapist, I'm a wizard" he looked back at Lupin who held out an envelope to him. Upon the envelope, written in green ink was his name and address 'to Kiba R. Scamander, Leverton's Orphanage, second floor, largest room' he quickly opened it and read the words he still couldn't believe.

'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Scamander,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress'

Kiba was lost for words as he looked at the list of required items, Wand, Couldron and charm books. It was real, he was "a Wizard" he mumbled

"quite right, I'll ensure your acceptance reaches the headmaster" Lupin said as he stood up

"Thank you," Kiba said "but where do i buy all this, and how? I don't have any Money"

"Ill return first thing tomorrow morning" Lupin said "Ill get you ready for your first year" he pulled on his jacket and waved as he turned around to leave.

"wait, , sir" Kiba said as Lupin gripped the doorknob "Can i tell my friend about this"

"sadly, dear boy" Lupin began as he faced Kiba once more "No. No mention of the Wizarding World to Muggles, it's the Law."

"Muggles?" Kiba asked

"Non Magic folk, if they would find out about our World the Ministry would be furious at those responsible" Lupin answered "and you don't want that" he returned around once more and opened the door "Ill see you in the morning"

Kiba still couldn't entirely believe it, he Kiba Rolf Scamander, a Wizard. Now suddenly more and more questions welled up inside his mind. Were his parents Wizards? Were They alive? Did he have Siblings, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents? He figured he would ask Lupin tomorrow or that Dumbledore fellow should he ever met him.

Kiba wanted to tell Faye everything, he didn't like the idea of lying to her but he had to. Maybe he could tell her most of it, just not the part that involves magic. Kiba laid down on his bed once again wondering, thinking, asking, 'was this real?' he wished it was. A head popped up at the foot off his bed and two cold hands grabbed his feet. Kiba sat upright in an instant and pulled his feet towards him.

"Faye.." the girl jumped

onto his bed and sat down,

"what happened when i was gone?" she asked "somebody came in, so i heard"

Kiba scratched the back of his head and looked at his desk where he had hid the envelope. "someone was here," he said quietly "on behalf of a schools headmaster, they offered me a place on their school" Faye beamed with excitement and leaned towards him.

"and?" she pushed "you took the opportunity?" Kiba nodded slowly

"I won't be back until Christmas if i go there" he said "it's in Scotland somewhere"

"wicked" she said in return "what kind of school is it?"

"Hogwarts has a wide range of subjects, i guess" Kiba replied "I'm going to buy my supplies tomorrow with "

"oh my god, I'm so happy for you" Faye squealed as she hugged the Boy "but how are you going to pay?" she asked, Kiba shrugged his shoulder. "get me something while you're there? Y'know for my Eleventh" Kiba smiled and nodded.

"Madam will be making her check round soon" Kiba whispered, Faye nodded and wished him a good night and returned turned her room. Kiba lay comfortably, thinking of tomorrow and where he could possibly buy all this.. Magic stuff. Tomorrow might just proof to be the best day in his life.


	2. Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

Just as promised, that following morning Mr.Lupin stood in the entrance hall waiting for Kiba. He ran to his side and greeted the man happily. They walked outside and began walking down the street. "Mr.Lupin," Kiba began

"Call me Remus" he intervened as he smiled at the boy

"how am i going to pay for my things?" Kiba asked

"ah, you think your mother would leave you without anything?" Remus said "We're going to Gringotts, a Wizard bank it has its vaults deep beneath London, and one of them is yours" he held out his hand and and Kiba looked at him questioningly "A touch of Magic" he whispered. Kiba took his hand and immediately felt his body twist and turn immensely but as quickly as it started, it stopped. Kiba found himself still next to Lupin but in an entirely different street then before. Kiba felt the urge to throw up on the spot but held it back. "in time you'll learn how to do this too"

Kiba spotted an out of place building in between two shops "the leaky cauldron" Kiba mumbled as he read the sign above.

"quite right dear boy," Remus said as he began walking towards the building "muggles can't see this pub, and it acts as one of the many gateways to Diagon alley" her opened the door and waited for Kiba to step inside. It was damp and crowded inside the pub, and allot of smokers were inside spreading their clouds across the room.

Remus greeted a few of the people inside, including the bartender and owner Tom. "Who you got with you there Lupin?"

"this is little Scamander" said Lupin, Kiba shook the man's hand who intently stated at him.

"so it is true then," he mumbled "He did have a child then"

"Who did?" asked Kiba

"Amelia, of course, your mother"

"but you said 'he'. Wait, you knew my mother?"

"did i say 'he'? Well i meant 'she' of course" Tom chuckled "the butterbeers are getting to me"

"we must get going Kiba, i can tell you of your mother" Lupin said as he ushered Kiba to another door on the other side of the pub "in time"

Kiba opened the door and stepped outside closely followed by Lupin, he was now standing in a rather small space blocked off by a stone wall, there was a trash bin on the corner as well.

Lupin retrieved his wand and moved it along the wall until he stopped, he tapped the stone with his wand three times and stepped back. The Brick shuddered an then began moving. First only one, then two, then for and then eight and so on until the wall was almost completely gone. Before them was a road which twisted and turned out of sight, Remus gestured for Kiba to enter the road and leave the tight space behind the leaky couldron. "welcome to Diagon Alley"

Kiba once again couldn't speak, he looked at the many signs in awe. 'Couldrons all sizes', 'best candy in all of London' he looked back at Remus who was many steps in front off him.

"stunning isn't it? I remember my first time here. Let's head to Gringotts"

The two walked down the street past many shops which sold many unique things. One shop was crowded with boys around his age pressing their noses to the window, inside was a brand new broom.

"I'm going to be Quidditch captain this year, you'll see Hufflepuff in the headlines" one of them announced

"what's Quidditch?" Kiba asked Remus once he had gotten back to him

"it's our sport, it has Four balls and seven players on each team, maybe you could buy a book about it" Remus answered "here we are, they safest place to store your goods, Gringots" they entered through the large archway and approached one of the many goblins that were lined on either side.

"Welcome to Gringots, how can i help?" the goblin said politely.

"Mr. Scamander would like to access his vault" Remus said as he handed a key to the Goblin.

"of course, this way" the goblin took the key into his long slender fingers and lead them to a railway behind another gigantic door. The moment they arrived at the rails a cart cane rushing out of nowhere and stopped. They climbed abord and off they went at incredible speed, Kiba barely managed to keep his eyes open. This was probably worse then that other transportation method Remus used earlier.

The ride went deep underground twisting around tight corners, going up and down until they stopped. Kiba felt sick like before but managed to stay in his feet. The Goblin lead then to a vault and pushed the key into the lock add turned it. Kiba heard at least 50 different mechanisms move and rattle. "Vault eight-hundred and eighty-eight, Kiba Rolf Scamander" Kiba stepped inside and stopped. Before him was a mountain of gold coins next to it one of silver and next to that a smaller one of bronze.

"Galleons, Sickles and knots. Twenty-nine knuts to a Silver Sickle, seventeen Sickles to a Gold Galleon" Remus explained "all yours" the amount of money that lay before him was astonishing, and it was his! But Kiba spotted something else, on a small table behind the Gold lay a book, seemingly new.

On it, Written in gold Ink was his name, he opened the first page and saw two moving pictures, above the first, written in Green ink it said "Grandma and Grandpa" the Witch and the Wizard in the Picture smiled at eachother and then at Kiba, the second was of a Beautiful young Woman and above it was written one thing, 'Mama loves you' the Witch smiled at Kiba and then blew a kiss in his direction.

"your mother left this here, for you" Remus said, he handed Kiba a small bag filled with coins. "they aren't pictures you know, more like captured moments. Very simple charm, you can also charm things so they don't move, i call that making it Muggle-Worthy" there was one more picture on the second page 'Great Aunt and Uncle" a thin bushy haired woman stood beside a wider man in a suit, they smiled and waved as well.

Not long later, Remus and Kiba were out of the Bank and on the street. Lupin held out the Vault key to Kiba "Can you keep it for me?" Kiba asked "I'm scared that I'll loose it" Remus smiled and then nodded.

"Check your list for your supplies, then we can begin" Remus said, Kiba took out the Envalope and opened the supply list.

'HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus, Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions'

First Remus and Kiba went to buy everything clothing related, Dragon scale gloves and so on. Kiba had just had his measurements taken and waited for his robes to be done when a girl with bushy, Brown hair sat down beside him.

"Hogwarts too?" she asked, Kiba nodded without looking at the girl "I'm so excited, i mean, i was since i got my letter. I'm a Muggleborn so it came as a surprise to my parents and I" she said "what's your blood status?"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, Remus had told him of the different blood statuses before. "Pure-, or Half- blood, I'm not sure" he answered

"Are your parents Magical?" she asked

"my mother was, but i never met my father, nor do i know anything about him" Kiba replied

"oh, sorry." She said "I'm Hermione by the way, Hermione Granger" she stuck out her hand enthusiastically, Kiba smiled and shook it

"Kiba Scamander" he said, Hermione jaw dropped

"Are you related to Newt Scamander?" she asked hastily "the famous Magizoologist?!"

"i don't know" Kiba replied "probably"

Hermione showed him the picture on the back of one of the books she had with her. It was 'Fantastic beasts and where to find them' by Newt Scamander. Kiba quickly recognized the Wizard and showed Hermiome the picture of his Grandparents. "guess he's my Grandpa" he chuckled. A woman came over to them and handed Kiba his Robe, he thanked her and stood up. "it was nice meeting you Hermione, hope we'll see each other at Hogwarts" he waved and left the shop to meet back up with Lupin.

All Kiba was missing now were his books and a Wand. He entered the store called Flourish and Blots and saw all the books he needed in some sort of collectors edition. "i suggest you pick up a book about Quidditch" Remus said pointing to a different section of the store. Kiba rushed over and took out a book called 'Quidditch through the Ages' behind however he spotted a thick book collecting dust. 'Advanced spells and charms, every spell in History' he took that as well and headed for the counter. He payed for the books and headed back outside placing them in the trolley that Remus had gotten somewhere.

"We'll need to buy you a trunk for your school things too" he said "Ill go do just that, you should head to Ollivanders and get your wand. Oh and, Ollivander might be strange but listen well, he knows what he's talking about"

Kiba nodded and headed towards the shop. 'since 382 BC?' he taught, he looked down at the display window where a single Wand lay, which seemed like it slightly moved. He entered the dimly lit store and closed the door, the sounds from outside were now just muffled noises.

"Hello there!" Kiba jumped when the man suddenly poped up from behind the counter, "Excuse me Mr.Scamander didn't mean to scare you" Kiba stood dumbfounded, how did this man know his name "i remember every wand i ever sold and who i sold it to, you look just like your mother Amelia"

Kiba swallowed hard "so do i just pick a wand then, sir?" he asked

"well no, the wand Chooses the Wizard, dear boy" the old man said as he retrieved a box "try this one. Thestral tail hair, 13 inches, oak, flexible" Kiba took the Wand into his hand and it immediately shot out of it again, smashing into a nearby shelf and breaking "not that one then, here. Walnut, unicorn hair, 15 inches, springy"

Kiba tried wand after wand and each one either exploded or broke itself. Lupin had returned and was watching from a nearby chair. "maybe, it's worth a try" Ollivander walked to the display window and retrieved the wand that lay there. It was a Black wand which split in two at its base, and those two pieces were spiraling each other until they reconnected at the tip. (Like Dumbledore's in fantastic beasts) "i made this wand when i was a little Drunk, it shouldn't even have worked, but it has remained whole ever since." He explained "Acacia and Blackthorn, 8 3/4 Inches, flexible, Dragon heartstring, Thunderbird Tailfeather and Veela hair" he handed Kiba the wand with a curious look, he grabbed it and nothing happened "go on, give it a wave"

Kiba waved his wand and expected it to blow into a million pieces but instead tiny lights shot from his wand illuminating the room like ten thousand lightning bugs, they swirled around and exploded like tiny little fireworks in different forms and colours. Lupin clapped as Ollivander looked on in astonishment and amusement "the wand truly chooses the Wizard, Marvellous"

"how much for this wand?" Kiba asked

"every wand costs Seven Galleons, Mr.Scamander" Ollivander answered, Kiba took Eight Galleons from his bag and handed them to Ollivander thanking him and turning to leave. Only now Kiba realized that it was turning dark, he saw that Remus had exchanged his Trolley for a big Trunk which had wheels on one side.

"Oh, i need to get some sweets for my friend" Kiba said as he ran over to the Next shop. He stepped inside and was overwhelmed by all the colour and movement. There were allot of sweets, yes, but 90% of them moved. Kiba then proceeded to buy Liquorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties, and returned outside.

"you bought the non moving treats, good" Remus said "is that all you need then?"

"yes, but i do want to look at a few Owls" Kiba replied. Remus nodded they stepped inside and closed the door, the Owls and toads inside began screeching and making noises as the two entered, little did Remus know what was happening to Kiba.

'let me out!' one Owl screeched, 'I've been here longer!" another Hooted, Kiba could.. hear them! Remus stopped in front of a King Cobra which stared intently at Kiba. It hissed loudly and Kibas head snapped in its direction. "is it normal that Wizard animals talk, Mr. Lupin?" he asked.

"no, but i think you have something your grandfather has to" a man replied from the dark "Newt Scamander could understand every Animal he was presented with, it's a rare gift" he smiled at Kiba before explaining the Prizes and perks of the animals when suddenly something small appeared beside Remus' head. It was a small Dragon, it flew around Remus and then stopped in front of Kiba.

'Are you the boy my mother told me about' Kiba heard it ask with a strong but angelic female voice.

"i don't know" Kiba replied "where is your mother"

"that stupid thing" the shop owner spat "Dutch Wolf-Dragon, left behind by its pack. Incredibly annoying with all its apparating and curiosity"

'my mother died, that's why i was left behind. To meet you' the tiny creature said 'And i was destined to be your Pet, or preferably, Friend'

"great, what's your name" Kiba asked,

'my mother never gave me one' it answered, slightly sad.

"I'll find a name for you, how much for this Dragon, sir?"

"Nine Galleons" the owner replied

"i've got eight left" Kiba replied giving the dragon on his hand a sad look,

"fine, Eight Galleons," the owner said "just get that thing out of my sight" Kiba quickly handed him the coins and left the shop with Lupin, wearing a bright happy smile. The Dragon was quick on it's feet as it climbed about on Kibas shirt.

"Fancy a bite to eat, Kiba?" Remus asked "it's on me" they headed back to the leaky Cauldron and sat down at one of the corner tables. Kiba was served food that the orphanages soup couldn't compare to, it was a delicious piece of chicken breast with a delicious sauce with some vegetables on the side. Once Kiba had eaten a good amount of his plate he looked at Remus "what is it, Kiba? Something on my face?"

"No," he replied "i was wondering, what was my mother like?"

"Amelia was a brilliant witch, as brave as a Gryffindor and as smart as a Ravenclaw" Remus said "she was a Hufflepuff, loyal to those she loved most" he looked intently at Kiba now as he spoke "listen, people are going to tell you things about your mother, cruel things. All Lies. And when they do, don't believe it all" He took a sip from his butterbeer as he looked back onto the memories of the Witch he knew back then.

"My grandfather, Newt." Kiba said stopping Remus' train of thought "is he alive?" Remus smiled

"He sure is" Remus replied "he's probably running about somewhere, studying for his second book. Your grandmother Tina is in America, in their home. She works for MACUSA, It's the American version of the Ministry" he smiled "don't even think about going there, there's allot of requirements for a Wizard to travel" Remus added "requirements you can't yet fulfil" Kiba nodded as he finished his plate and took a last sip from his water.

"Alright of we go, remember no Magic, and no word to anyone" Remus reminded the boy "keep it all hidden, especially that Dragon" The moment he said this the dragon rushed inside Kiba's shirt to hide and then poked his had back out of the collar. Remus watched as Kiba pulled the trunk towards the entrance of the Orphanage when he suddenly turned around,

"my father, did you know him?" he asked

"i never knew you existed until a week ago" Remus said "i don't know who your father is" Kiba walked over to the man and then hugged him tightly.

"thank you, Mr.Lupin" Kiba said softly

"it was my pleasure," Lupin replied "we'll see eachother again, i promise" Kiba headed inside quickly waving to the man one last time.

"how was your trip Kiba?" Sister Crawford asked with a genuine smile, until Madams screeching could be heard from her office. Crawford patted Kiba's head and left for Madams office. Kiba pulled the heavy trunk up the stairs and into his room, "guess this is your room now, until Hogwarts of course, but nobody can see you there either" Kiba said as the dragon looked around the room, "Maybe you can make yourself comfy on top of my Closet, maybe i can find a pillow for you or something"

Kiba's door clicked and opened, and the Dragon disappeared. "oh Kiiiiibaaaaaa" Faye squealed before she stood in front of the boy and looked him dead in the eyes "i have cometh for what thou promised me"

Kiba snickered, barely able to contain his laughter. "you'll get them for your Birthday" he replied "And i know your gonna love these sweets" Faye squeaked with excitement but Kiba quickly hushed her and told her to go to bed before Helaway caught them.

'is that your friend?' The dragon had reappeared on Kiba's chest when he had laid down on his bed. Kiba nodded 'she's nice, to bad i can't meet her'

"i found a Name that i think could fit you" Kiba said, The Dragon lifted her head which was resting on her masters chest "Hotaru, it means: Firefly"

'Thank you, Master Kiba" Hotaru replied laying her head back down.

"you should sleep underneath the sheets," Kibs said "someone might see you. And, like i said, you didn't have to call me Master"


	3. Chapter 3: Hogwarts School

Chapter 3: Hogwarts School

Only a few days later it was time, Faye's Birthday. Few of the Kids congratulated her, and even fewer even knew it was her Birthday. Faye was excited for more then just Kiba's present. She headed downstairs for Breakfast to see Kiba sitting and waiting for her. She got her plate and went to sit down, she received a hug from Kiba with a lovely whisper in her ear 'Happy Birthday, Faye' he handed her the nearly wrapped package he had prepared, she glanced at her friend and then quickly ripped it open.

"Liquorice Wands?" she said "Pumpkin pasties?" she Looked at Kiba "I've Never seen these before"

"well i barely got any," He replied "they were refilled and gone within minutes" she opened the package of Liquorice wands and picked one out and put it in her mouth. Her lips curled upwards in a smile.

"Thank you, Wolf" she said, "and by the way, Madam also gave me a present" Kiba was absolutely stunned at what he had just heard "well, kind of." She snickered "she told me, the Kenway's are taking me out for a day, today" she squeaked and Kiba beamed with excitement

"i told you, you had a chance" Kiba said happily "i bet they're going to take you" Faye couldn't hide her Happiness, a chance to leave Leverton's forever. But it also reminded her that she had to leave Kiba behind. She was struck with sadness, Kiba saw this and immediately stuck out his little finger to her. Faye knew what this ment and returned his smile. "when you come back today, meet me at the desk in the Hall after Madam checks on us" Kiba whispered, Faye nodded and two resumed eating.

That night once Madam had checked the beds, Faye quietly slid out of her room and into the hall, walking on the tip of her toes to avoid making noise she crept to the desk near the end of it. Kiba was nowhere to be seen. "Faye, up here" she turned to see his head hanging upside down from the roof, she clambered onto the desk and up into the attic, Kiba was already on his way out of the Window, she followed him and was awestruck.

The two lay side by side on they angled roof starting up at the clear night sky. "Faye,-" Kiba began but Faye stopped him, she held out her little finger. Kiba smiled at her and locked his with hers.

"Promise me something" Faye said as she stalked the stars, "don't forget me" Kiba didn't answer, Faye looked to her side, his head turned and they looked in each other's eyes. Kiba removed his little finger from hers and instead took her entire handed into his, intertwining their fingers.

"Never" he said. Kiba couldn't move his head away his eyes were locked onto hers as she gazed into the deep blue sky. Her Emerald eyes reflecting the moonshine in a way no other could do it. "Never" he whispered again as he also looked to the glimmering stars. "I'm leaving tomorrow" Kiba said after along silence

"i know" she answered, silence followed once more "we should head back, Madam will be making her second round soon" the dropped back down into the attic and then into the hall below. They said their goodnights and went to bed just before Madam's footsteps could be heard in the creaky wooden stairs.

The night went by quickly and by 9 o'clock Kiba's bags were secure in Madam's small car. All school supplies, most of the clothing and of course Hotaru was safely in Kiba's jacket pocket. He walked through the front door to the outside with his bag that hung from his shoulder. Faye was waiting outside while Madam impatiently sat in the Car.

Faye hugged the Boy and wished him a good trip, when they parted from their hug Kiba realized something hung around his neck. "Faye, no" he said, around his neck hung Faye's necklace. A blue tear with a fake Diamond in it. "it's your fathers, no. I can't take this" he stammered

"keep it," Faye replied with a weak smile "so you won't forget me" she held her little finger up. Kiba smiled and locked his with hers before hugging her again.

"Come now, boy" Madam screeched through the open window of the car "haven't got all day" Kiba rushed to the car and sat down in the backseat.

"make sure you write to me!" Faye yelled as she waved at her friend, he nodded and waved back to her as the car began to rumble and drive forwards.

It was an agonizing 30 minute drive to Kings cross station. Madam constantly hissed at Kiba when he whispered to Hotaru. Madam reluctantly helped Kiba put his things on a trolley but then left him at the entrance. Kiba took out the ticket that Lupin had send him. 'Platform 9 3/4 at 11 o'clock, the station is right between 9 and 10' it read.

10:30. Kiba went to station 9 and 10 yet there was no station in between. He listened for any announcement of platform 9 3/4 or the Hogwarts Express.

10:40. Kiba walked up to one of the men which helped people find their train. "Excuse me, sir" he said politely "how do i get to Station Nine-and-three-quarters?"

"you messin' with me kid?" the man replied "i ain't got time for your jokes" he walked of quickly to help another Muggle.

10:50. Kiba was getting extremely nervous. Was this all a joke, had played a prank on him? That's when he caught the eye of another Station assistant who stood with his back to one of the giant stone pillars between the stations, on the station 9 side. He tapped against the pillar while mouthing the Words 'through here' Kiba nodded to the man and readied himself.

10:55. Kiba charged at the wall expecting to smash in to it to the delight off the assistant and all the Muggles around. When he drew closer he saw the man tip his hat while saying something "have a good term" Kiba's confidence was boosted and he ran faster not realizing he had already passed through.

Kiba looked at the black locomotive which now stood before him, it read Hogwarts Express at the front. He had made it, apart from allot of adults the station was empty of children, they most likely all had boarded already. "Kiba!" he hard someone call his name, one girl was standing on the station waiting with her parents. He walked over to her "you made it just in time"

"Hermione right?" he asked, she nodded with a smile "came on my own, didn't know how to get here really"

"you should really get on the train now sweetheart" the Woman beside Hermione said, she smiled at her hugged her then her father and went to enter the train.

"don't worry about your bags Kiba" Hermione said "they get on the train by themselves" Kiba followed close behind her and the two entered one of the Compartments that didn't already have three people in it already. They sat down across from two boys. One looking allot more shy then Kiba had ever seen before. Kiba looked up saw that his backpack had appeared there. "don't worry the bigger trunks are placed in the back" Hermione said. The train let out a loud Howl and began moving, Hermione waved to her parents but the station soon disappeared and was replaced by bright green fields and rows of trees along the rails. There was long silence until Hermione decided to talk to the Boys "I'm Hermione Granger, Muggleborn" she simply said

"Seamus Finnigan, Half-blood" the Sandy haired boy said

"Ne.. Neville Longbottom, Pure" the other said nervously

"Kiba Scamander, Pure or Half-Blood" Kiba said "pleased to meet you all" after their introduction they feel silent once more. Hermione took another shot at creating conversation asking Seamus of he had a pet with him.

"i have Crookshanks, my trusty cat" she said and then looked at Kiba, he thought for a moment

"okay I'll show you my pet," he said looking them all in the eyes "but not a word to anyone" Kiba opened his jacket and took Hotaru out of his pocket "Dutch wolf dragon" he said

"oh no," Neville suddenly burst out "I've lost Trevor again, my Toad"

"We'll find him" Hermione said pulling Kiba up, she told him to go right and ask around and she would take the opposite way.

Kiba asked compartment after compartment when he stumbled into one where a blond boy sat with two bulky boys, "Have you seen a Toad by any chance?" he asked

"No" the Blonde replied "but we haven't met, this is Crabbe and Goyle" he said pointing at the two boys which now towered over him from behind "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy"

"Kiba Scamander" he replied as he shook Draco's

"Scamander," Draco repeated " i hope you'll join Slytherin, we could use someone like you"

"I'm not sure," Kiba said "I'll wait for the Hat to make the decision"

"Alright, see you around, Scamander" Draco said before sitting down again.

Hermione and Kiba had returned to their compartment empty handed. It had gotten dark and they were no longer far away from Hogwarts, or Hogsmeade station that is. "i can't wait for the sorting ceremony" Hermione said "i hope I'll be a Gryffindor, although.. Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad either"

"I'm happy as long as I'm not a Slytherin" Neville added "Gran would be furious of i was"

"i don't know, i mean ultimately it's up to the hat, right?" Seamus asked, Kiba nodded in agreement. "Have any of you done any magic yet?" Seamus asked after a moment of silence.

"yeah, i repaired Harry Potters glasses just a moment ago" Hermione said proudly, Neville and Seamus stared at her in shock.

"The boy who lived?" Kiba asked, he had read of the infamous Harry Potter that defeated a powerful dark wizard when he was just a year old, it was in the wizard newsletter, the daily prophet. It also said that he would be attending a wizard school now. "And i accidentally made a fish explode once" he added

"i made my water goblet explode, twice" Seamus said "tried to turn the water in to rum"

"What kind of spell does that?" Kiba asked

"Eye of Rabbit, harp string hum, turn this water into Rum" Seamus said proudly "read it in a book, Transfiguration spell"

"Guys, i think i see the station" Hermione said as she peered out the window, and she was right the train began to slow down "you might want to change she said"

The three boys quickly got into their robes as the train came to a halt. The four rushed outside and watched as all their Trunks were being carried to a giant gate where a Grumpy looking man began checking them for anything suspicious.

"firs'-years, firs'-years over here!" a giant, bearded man called out across the station as all the first years gathered infront of him "All right there Harry?" He asked the black haired boy before him. "C'mon, follow me – any more firs'-years? Mind yer step now! firs'-years follow me!" all the young wizards and witches followed the big man who held a lantern as he led them down a narrow path. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec" the giant called over his shoulder "jus' round this bend here"

Everyone gasped in awe as 'ooooohs' escaped their mouths, they were now standing on the shore of a giant black lake. They were ordered into boats that rested on the water. Kiba got in a boat with Hermione, Harry and his friend Ron, after a big shout the boats moved forwards on the water towards the castle on the hill. They entered through an opening in the Cliffside, and were led to a room where an older witch waited for them.

"Thank you Hagrid, I'll take them from here" the Witch said "Welcome to Hogwarts young Witches and Wizards, the sorting ceremony will begin shortly in the great hall" she said "you will be sorted into your Houses. While at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you lose points" she explained "at the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House cup"

The Witch led them all into the Great Hall. It wasn't the four long tables which stood in the giant hall, nor the giant table at the top of afew small steps where the teachers sat looking over the four tables of students, No. It was the roof, the roof that seemingly didn't exist. Above them was the dark night sky illuminated by the stars.

"it isn't really the sky, it's enchanted to look like it" Hermione whispered beside him "i read about it in, Hogwarts: A History" They were led all the way along the tables to the steps where they stopped. Kiba scanned the teachers table inn the hopes to see Lupin but he was not among them, beside the table on the far right pinned too the wall were four glass tubes each with one of the house crests on it. Kiba assumed this was to count the house points which the old won't had told them about.

Loud clapping echoed through the hall as a girl happily walked to her table. Her Hogwarts crest on her robes swirled and turned yellow with a badger on it. Her tie changed into the colours of her house, Canary yellow and black. The hat was placed on student after student as it whispered into their ears and sorted them. Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor, and that boy Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. Harry took some time but he too was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Scamander, Kiba!" Kiba slowly walked up the steps and sat down on the stool, the hat was placed on his head and he could hear it start to speak right into his ear.

"i see the same traits i saw in your Grandfather and your Mother alike, but there is something else.. Very strong, Very pure Blood.. Slytherins blood. Difficult very difficult, a great mind, a strong heart" it said "better be, SLYTHER..no, HUFFLE.." It shouted but stopped both times, every one was confused. The sorting hat had never doubted or second guessed it's decision, it was quite for a moment until it shouted out again, this time a full name "GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat was taken off of his head and he walked unsteadily down the steps towards Hermione, his crest too changed into Gryffindor as his tie turned into the crimson and gold colours of Gryffindor House. However he couldn't really shake a certain dizziness that had set in, he couldn't really appreciate the moment as his fellow housemates congratulated him.

 **AN: What? two chapters in one day?! what is happening?! i had multiple free periods so i got some writing done, here's what we got now. i can't wait to be done with PS as COS cuz POA is my fav book/movie but alas I'm excited to write this year.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Potions Master

Chapter 4: The Potions Master

Percy, the Prefect of Gryffindor House had led all of the first years up to the dormitory after Dumbledore's announcement, it was a giant circular room with multiple arm chairs, a sofa in front of a big fireplace and a bookshelf with a desk on the left wall.

Kiba followed close behind Ron and Harry as they entered a room that read 'First-years' at the top of a spiral staircase. To the left was the First years girls dormitory and to the right the boys dorm, on floor below them was the dorms of the seventh years, who as Kiba found out quickly were easily annoyed due to all the stress of their NEWT's. In the middle of the room was a metal pipe with holes in it at the top which was ment for heating, around it was a ring where wet clothing and towels could be hung to dry. Six four-poster beds stood in a circle around the room each with a big trunk at the food of them. On a big desk next to one of them was a cage with a snow white owl and a brown rat.

"Scabbers!" Ron said as he rushed over and opened the cage, Harry went over to the other cage and let the owl nibble on his finger.

'Please let me fly' Kiba heard her hoot.

"She's asking to be let out" Kiba said to Harry when he had found his trunk.

"how come you know?" Harry asked

"it's a rare gift my grandfather has" Kiba replied, he walked over to the snow white owl "i understand every animal" he smiled as the owl also nibbled on his finger "She likes the name you gave her, Hedwig, it is a wonderful name for a beautiful owl"

"What's Scabbers saying?" Ron asked and held his fat brown rat towards Kiba.

"i don't know, as a matter of fact i don't understand a single thing" Kiba replied as the Rat hissed and wiggled in Ron's hands "that's a first, i have spoken to rats before" Kiba turned around to ask Harry a question only to see him deep in slumber on his bed already. He also headed for his bed, he closed the curtains and pulled his sheets up to his neck, he could feel Hotaru enjoy herself on the soft bed. The last thing he heard was Dean and Seamus finally going to bed as well, and the occasional snores from Ron and Neville before he drifted off to sleep.

Kiba had woken early that day, he put on his robes and headed downstairs into the common room to get some more reading done. Even though he had, like Hermione, read all their study books twice already Kiba knew that their first lesson was potions with Professor Snape. Everyone knew that Snape was a man hard to impress and that's exactly what Kiba wanted to do, Snape was Head of Slytherin House and would most definitely favour them, that Gryffindor had double potions with them only made it worse.

Kiba had been so deep in to reading that he didn't realise Hermione sat down beside him. "you're you early" she said, Kiba jumped slightly because only now did he realize she was there.

"Mornin' Hermione" he replied with a smile, Hotaru climbed out of his robes and greeted the bushy haired girl as well.

'Kiba can i go fly around the castle?' Hotaru asked as she faced the window,

"of course, just try not to be seen" Kiba said "if Dumbledore found out i brought a Dragon here.. i can't even imagine what would happen"

Kiba looked back at Hermione who had her face buried in an Herbology book, 'right there's that too today' Kiba thought. The time finally came as the bell, which announced Breakfast time, rang. Hermione and Kiba made their way down to the great hall and sat down at the table to listen to the Morning announcements. When the food was presented Hermione tapped Kiba's shoulder.

"where are Harry and Ron?" she asked, Kiba quickly swallowed the bite of his Egg and toast to reply when he heard the doors to the great hall open. Harry and Ron came running in and took their seats opposite to Kiba and Hermione.

"this castle is definitely to big" Ron complained while Harry nodded, Hermione shook her head and received a genuine smile from Kiba for it. 9 am had drawn near, which meant time for first classes. Hermione and Kiba had to physically drag Ron away from the food and down into the dungeons.

Hermione had taken a seat next to Harry while Kiba sat next to Ron a little to the left of them in the row behind. It happened fairly quickly when the class room door opened and a teacher all dressed in black with a hooked nose entered, this was undoubtedly Snape. He walked past them to the front of the class, he turned around and looked over the class and began reading through the names. "ah yes, Potter… our new celebrity" he continued and the stopped again. "Scamander, now that's a name i haven't heard in a while" as he checked the last student he placed the book away and turned to the students once more. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

He stepped forward and closer too Harry who was scribbling on a peace of parchment. "Potter" Harry's head immediately shot up and he looked at Snape. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Hermione's hand shot upward in an instant as did Kiba's.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut. Fame clearly isn't everything." He said "let's see if can save you"

"the combination would create a powerful sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death" Kiba answered, he felt bad for humiliating Harry but this was school.

"Correct!" Snape hissed while stareing at Harry "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"I don't know, sir." He replied

"Thought you wouldn't open a bok before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape said as he leaned closer to Harry who forced himself to keep looking into those cold eyes. Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand and instead turned to Kiba again

"a Bozar is a stone taken from the stomach of a Goat" Kiba said "It is able to cure most poisons"

"How right you are" Snape sneered, his head whipped back towards Harry "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Harry didn't even bother to answer, Snape snapped his finger and pointed at Kiba again.

Harry's eyes met with Kiba's and Harry nodded, he could see the apologetic look on Kiba's face. "They are the same plant sir," Kiba said "which also goes by the name of Aconite"

"Correct" Snape said "well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" he turned to walk to his desk and faced Harry again "one point will be taken from Gryffindor for 's failure, had not answered correctly for you i would have taken allot more so, Count. Yourself. Lucky."

A little later they were on their way out of the classroom after Gryffindor had lost another point because Snape had blamed Harry for Neville melting his cauldron. "Scamander!" Snape hissed, Kiba stopped dead in his tracks and turned to walk towards the teachers desk "i must congratulate you on your potion" he said "you have a knack for potions, i expect today's performance to be consistent throughout this year"

"it will sir," Kiba replied "it's difficult but i won't shy away from the challenge" Kiba quickly rejoined the other three as they were headed for Hagrid's hut. As they came by the great hall they ran right into professor McGonagall. "sorry professor" Kiba and the others said quickly apologizing

"no harm done" she replied " would you please come with me?" Kiba wanted to protest but the professor spoke before he could "I'm afraid i must insist" Kiba nodded and waved to three others as they continued in different directions. Hermione stopped once to turn back and look at her friend with a worried expression. "this way" Professor McGonagal said, they walked along the corridors but then stopped at an opening in which a giant gargoyles statue stood " _sherbet Lemon_ " McGonagal said flicking her hands in the direction of the statue.

The statue rumbled add then began turning and rising upwards, stairs began spiraling upward together with the gargoyle. Kiba quickly stepped onto one of them and rose to the top where a door awaited him. He knocked on the door and it slowly swung open, he stepped inside and looked around the room. A set out steps led up to a desk with a set of stairs on either side leading to a third section of the office which Kiba couldn't see anymore. There were several shelves filled with different objects as well as the sorting hat which looked at Kiba, rather curiously, to the right was a wall which seemed to be openable.

"Ah. Kiba my boy" a recognizable voice called out, Kiba looked to the top of the stairs and saw the old man with his long white beard and his half-moon glasses.

"Professor Dumbledore" Kiba said, frankly he didn't understand why he was in the headmaster office.

"you might wonder, why i summoned you here" Dumbledore said as he descended the stairs "simply said, i wanted to talk with you. Lupin must have mentioned that he visited you on my behalf" Kiba nodded in response. Even Kiba, someone who knew very little about magic, knew that Dumbledore was Powerful, standing in Dumbledore presence was overwhelming. By standing infront of him, one could sense his power. "allot of this is likely still a little unbelievable for you" Dumbledore said as he sat down on his desk chair.

"yes, but I've read all my school books, and most of the easy spells seem to be working for me." Kiba replied "Professor Snape even congratulated me, on my potion"

"did he?" Dumbledore said with a hint of surprise "well, he does not do that very often, to any student." He added.

"As i understand it," Dumbledore suddenly said after a moment of silence "you have a very special Wand, right?" Kiba nodded and retrieved it from his pocket, Dumbledore grabbed it and analized it closely. "how intriguing" he whispered.

"excuse me, Professor" Kiba said "did you know my mother?" Dumbledore looked back at the boy and handed him his wand back, the he slowly nodded.

"of course i did" he replied "She also attended this school" he chuckled "you remind me of her a bit, but i think you're more like your Grandfather"

"Newt?" Kiba asked "the Magizooologist?"

"yes," Dumbledore replied "he attended Hogwarts when i was still a teacher." He laughed once more "He also helped me defeat a dark wizard once" Dumbledore added silently

"Grindlewald, right?" Kiba asked "i read about your duel" Dumbledore simply nodded

"well," he said "if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask." Dumbledore said "because, at Hogwarts, help will always be given, to those who ask. Now, off you go, you've got classes to attend"

"thank you, sir" Kiba said as he turned to leave. He walked down the spiral staircase and heard the gargoyle come to a halt behind him.


	5. Chapter 5: Thought you ought to know

Chapter 5: Thought you ought to know

Wednesday had come around and a single notice on the board in the Gryffindor commonroom caused a huge commotion among the first-year's. It had its mixture of reasons, a mixture of excitement and fright, something Kiba could very well relate to. But it was not just that, they would be sharing this class with the Slytherin's.

"great, the last thing i wanted is to make a fool of myself, in front of Malfoy no less." Harry complained during breakfast, Ron patted him on the back and answered with some words of encouragement. But Kiba didn't listen, he was to fixed on Hermione. She was talking to Neville and the other girls, giving them advice about flying. Well more like facts and tips she had gathered from Kiba's book 'Quidditch through the Ages', Hermione didn't have any experience on flying and was, as she admitted on the way to class, frightened to the bone.

They arrived on the flying training grounds near the quidditch arena, and saw multiple brooms laid out in two lines. "good morning children" a short haired woman called "I'm madam Hooch, Welcome to your first flying lesson. Now come on everyone, stand next to your broom, hold out your hand and call 'UP'" she explained. Madam Hooch had eyes like a hawk as she watched the children struggling with their brooms. Harry however, didn't struggle at all. With one shout the broom was in his hands, as was Draco's. Kiba needed a second shout to get the broom into his Hand while Hermione's just rolled over on the grass.

It took a while, but eventually even Neville had the broom in his hand. Madam Hooch then instructed them to sit on their brooms. "and grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end" Madam Hooch walked past everyone, correcting their grip and form. She told Draco, who had previously boasted about his years of experience, that he had been doing it wrong for years. "Alright. On my whistle, gently push of the ground. Hover for a bit, and then lean the broom forwards slightly to come back to the ground" Madam Hooch demonstrated as she explained, she put the whistle to heard mouth but hesitated.

Neville, who had been exceptionally nervous, had pushed of the ground hard and rose high into the air before falling off of his broom, he crashed to the ground to the delight of the Slytherins and horror to the Gryffindors and Madam Hooch. His broom continued flying in the direction of the forbidden forest. "Now, now… a broken hand." She helped Neville to his feet and stared at the students "all of you, stay on the ground while i take this boy to the hospital wing. If i catch you flying, you will be on the train home before you can say 'Quidditch'" she said loudly as she walked past the crowd of students.

Kiba had heard the seriousness in her words, she would really expel anyone who dared to fly without her around. "What an idiot…" Kiba heard Hermione mumble beside him, and he understood why once looked where everyone else was looking. High in the sky, face to face, where Draco and Harry.

"give it here Malfoy, or I'll knock you off that broom!" he shouted loudly, Malfoy visibly smirked at him as he held the glass ball high above his head. Harry leaned forward and flew towards the other boy like a missile, but Malfoy pulled his broom up and dodged Harry's charge. Even though it was Harry's first time on a broom, he seemed to be very comfortable in the air. Their bickering continued until Draco tossed the glass orb high into the air. It soared through the sky and then began dropping, along with Harry who chased it in a steep dive, catching it just mere moments before it would have hit the ground.

Harry's triumph however, was short lived. Professor McGonagal had arrived on the field just in time to see Harry fly, but to late to see Draco. Harry's head hung low as he followed her back into the castle.

Madam Hooch soon returned and taught the remaining students how to correctly take off, fly and land. Kiba was able to fly with ease after falling of twice, Hermione took much longer to take off. Meanwhile Ron sat above them watching as he hovered high. After their flying class they had a class of Astronomy during which Harry returned, looking rather happy, maybe even overjoyed and they would soon find out why.

"Seeker?" Ron and Kiba gasped simultaneously when Harry had told them of his newly acquired position on the Gryffindor Quudditch team.

"hush" Harry said "i don't want anyone to know right away. Especially not him" Harry looked in the direction of the oncoming storm that was Draco and his bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.

"when will you be on the train then Potter?" he sneered devilishly,

"could ask you the same" Ron replied

"is it soon then? I'd love to wave you off at the station" Draco shot back

"screw you Malfoy" Harry spat, he knew that neither Draco, nor his bodyguards could do anything to him since they were in full view of the teachers table.

"you might want to rethink your position, Draco" Kiba said through his mouth of bread as Snape came walking towards them.

"Mr.Malfoy, i'd like to have a word with you. Would you mind visiting my office the hour before dinner?" he asked in his typical, almost monotone whisper "No? Good, see you then." He disappeared from the great hall as suddenly as he had appeared beside them.

"Now then Malfoy," Harry began "i guess we'll see each other on the train" Kiba and Ron broke out into laughter as Malfoy left with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.

After their Defense against the dark arts lesson, Ron and Harry talked about Quidditch in the common room rather then study like Hermione or Kiba, who both sat at one of the tables by the commonroom bookshelves. They knew that sooner or later they would come to them for help, their conversation however, lasted until Dinnertime. Fred and George had just congratulated Harry on making the team when Draco, once more with Crabbe and Goyle, came strutting towards them.

"look who's still wandering the castle" he said to his bodyguards "one last meal before it's back to the muggels?"

"your acting allot tougher then you did on on the broom, without them" Harry quickly spat, smirking at the blonde

"i'd take you on my own anytime, how about tonight?" Draco suggested "wizards duel, ever heard of that?"

"'course he has" Ron quickly answered "I'm his second, who's yours?"

"Crabbe. Let's meet in the trophy room" Draco replied "see you at midnight" he said and strode of with his bodyguards in tow once more when Harry turned to Ron.

"what's a wizards duel?" he asked

"a fight between two wizards, not physical but magical duel" he replied "seconds are there to fill in should you die… but don't worry, Malfoy doesn't know any more spells then you. All you can do is shoot sparks at each other"

"and if i wave my wand and nothing happens?" Harry asked "What then?"

"just punch him on the nose!" Ron answered with a grin. Hermione, who hadn't really been listening, since she was having a conversation with Percy and another girl, whipped her head towards him.

"excuse me?" she said

"can't we have a conversation in peace?" Ron shot back

"i couldn't help but overhear it-"

"- bet you could"

"and you mustn't go wandering around the castle at night" she said "think of all the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught"

"Hermione is right" Kiba added "it's probably a set up anyway" Hermione nodded in agreement while Ron just looked away. Hermione went to speak again but was cut off by Dumbledore who had some short term notices to convey. Before Hermione could scold Harry and Ron further they had disappeared already, she glanced at Kiba who shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

The two returned to their dormitories and went to bed. Kiba could see Ron and Harry in their four-poster beds in their pyjamas, he also changed into his and laid down in bed and closed the curtains. He had Hotaru on his chest as he gently caressed her chin with his finger. He tried to fall asleep but something held him awake subconsciously, that was when he heard whispering. He peered through his curtains and saw the two boys slipping out of their beds. He also climbed out of his and walked up to them.

"so you're going still?" he asked "imagine if you're caught"

"i don't care" said Ron "this is our chance to get Malfoy, once and for all"

"you're not thinking straight" Kiba hissed, trying not too wake the other boys as Ron and Harry pushed passed him. He followed closely "is this all just because you despise each other? Draco has probably been taught at home. He's from a wealthy family, i bet you he received some before school private tutoring." Kiba tried to talk them out of it all the way down the spiral staircase, but to no avail.

"you are not going!" a voice suddenly said from the dark of the common room. Hermione was sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace, she stood and walled towards the three.

"What are you doing here, get back to bed" Ron said

"you too, Kiba" Harry added

"i considered telling your brother" Hermione said blocking Ron's path "Percy, he's a prefect, he'd put a stop too this"

"how can someone be this… Interfering?" Harry mumbled as he stepped past Hermione "come on, Ron" he said, pushing open the portrait. Ron was close behind him, but simply leaving wasn't getting them away from Hermione as she followed them, continuing her scolding. Reluctantly Kiba followed as well in an attempt to stop Hermione from going with then all the way and getting caught to.

"Hermione, let them go, it's no use" Kiba said, Hermione agreed and turned to reenter the common room. As she stood before the portrait she realized that the fat lady was missing.

"we're shut out Kiba" she said

"dammit," he blurted out "well i won't stay here to get caught, I'm going with them" her turned and followed the other two boys down the stairs.

"me too" Hermione said as she followed "and if we're caught were can just tell them the truth. We can tell them we were trying to stop them" she added. "and you can back me up"

They soon caught up with the other two and found themselves at the door to the trophy room. Harry put his ear to the door in an attempt to listen for any voices. "you've got some nerve," Ron spat at Hermione and Kiba "following us here. If either of you get us caught, i won't rest until I've learnt that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, as used it on you"

Hermione and Kiba exchanged a look of relief, realizing that Ron hadn't paid attention in class at all.

"quiet now all of you" Harry hissed "They might be hiding to surprise us" he slowly, and as quietly as he could, opened the door and slid inside. They announced their arrival but no sign of Draco or his friends anywhere, the crystal trophy cases glimmered in the moonlight as they waited. Harry had his wand drawn as he scanned past every statue and door in the room.

"he's not coming –" Hermione began but was cut off by Ron

"yeah, he chickened out" just then a noise in the next room made them all jump, they could hear a voice.. but it wasn't Draco's.

"sniff around my dear" the voice spoke "They might be hiding" it was undoubtedly Filch and his cat Mrs Norris. The four silently crept towards the door away from Filch and once they were out quickened their pace. They came down a long gallery of suits of armour, and heard Filch getting closer. Ron suddenly broke into a run but soon tripped pulling Kiba along with him as they crashed into a suit of armour. The suit cane crashing to the ground and the clanging was loud enough to echo through the entire Castle.

"RUN!" Harry cried out and they all began sprinting down the gallery, without even a glance backwards. They ran from one hallway to the next with Harry in the lead when Kiba suddenly found himself enjoying the chase, it made him feel alive, for the first time without Faye. They came past the Charms corridor and then slammed into a locked door.

"damn it" Ron grunted as he pushed and pulled on the door, they turned around to find another way when they saw the last person they wanted to see.

"Peeves, don't" Harry warned him, but it was in vain. Peeves began shouting through the hall.

"oh no! We're tapped" Ron winced, but Hermione pushed him away

"move over" she snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand and tapped it on the lock before whispering "Alohomora" the door swung open and they all dashed inside closing it behind them. They put their ears to the door and heard Filch talking to the poltergeist.

"guys?" Kiba said as he lightly tugged on Harry's robes

"get off, Kiba" he snarled but Kiba kept tugging. Harry swung around to face the other boy "what?" he saw, quite clearly now, what. A massive dog, reaching all the way to the corridors ceiling stood before them.

"thought you ought to know…" Kiba mumbled

But it wasn't just that, it had three massive heads, and three pairs of eyes which were fixed on them, three noises quivering and twitching towards them and the drooling mouths.

It was unmistakable, they had landed in the forbidden corridor on the third floor. Just as a high pitched scream escaped Hermione mouth Harry turned the doorknob and they all fell backwards. Ron was up and running the fastest closely followed by Harry and then Hermione, Kiba got up and slammed the door shut and heard it locking itself again before, also he ran. Luckily Filch had went looking somewhere else and the four first years reached the portrait of the fat lady on the seventh floor.

"goodness gracious," the lady said looking at their flushed, sweaty faces "where on earth have you all been?"

"never mind that – pig snout, pig snout" Harry panted, and they portrait swung open. They quickly entered and finally came to a stop.

"What are they. Thinking. Keeping. Such a thing. In the castle" Ron said inbetween heavy breaths

"you don't use your eyes do you?" Kiba asked "did you even look at it's feet?"

"no, i was to busy with that whole three head thing" Harry replied

"did you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked, she had caught her breath "it stood on a trap door"

"It's obviously guarding something" Kiba added with a nod. Ron and Harry stared at then blankly.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm off to bed before either of you get another idea to get us killed – or worse expelled" she said glaring at them "good night, Kiba" she added as she headed for the stairs.

"she needs to sort out het priorities" Ron muttered as they also headed for their beds. But like Harry, Kiba didn't listen. His mind was elsewhere, what was that dog guarding?"

Two months had passed since Kiba first stepped into the world of Magic and Halloween had come around. Harry had told Ron and Kiba what he had told Harry about the safety of Hogwarts, but they could only speculate on what the two inch long indirect was, that the three headed dog was guarding. But it had quickly slipped Harry's mind as he had begun making an impact on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with his Nimbus 2000.

It was Tuesday before Halloween and the first years were dieing to learn a spell which Flitwick had used to make Neville's road zoom around the room. The Professor stood upon his tower of books as he squeaked the instructions. "and don't forget, swish and flick" he said.

The students were separated in pairs for the lesson, Harry was with Seamus, Kiba was with Dean but Hermione was with Ron and neither of them seemed pleased about it. One after the other the pairs took turns attempting to make their feathers fly. Dean tried and tried but couldn't make his feather fly,

"your turn Kiba" he said, Kiba nodded add turned his attention away from the others and to his feather.

"Wingardium Leviosa" he said as he flicked his wand. The instant he had spoken the speak the feather twitched and began flying where ever Kiba pointed his wand.

"look here everybody," Flitwick squeaked "Miss Grander and Mister Scamander did it. Marvellous" Hermione and Kiba shared a smile but Kiba could also see Ron, who looked mildly displeased.

"it's no wonder no one can stand her" Ron said to Harry as they made their way to their common room "she's a nightmare, honestly"

"speak for yourself, Ron" Kiba replied just as someone pushed past Harry and walked away quickly. It was Hermione herself

"i think she heard you" Harry said, he had caught a glimpse of Hermione's face as saw her in tears.

"so? She must've realized she's got no friends" Ron snarled. Kiba shot Ron a mean look and dashed after Hermione. He caught up to her just before she entered the girls bathroom in the dungeons.

"leave me alone Kiba, I'm fine" Hermione hissed

"you don't look it," Kiba replied "Ron was speaking for himself, not for Me or Harry. I don't think you're a nightmare and neither does Harry"

"like i said," Hermione said "leave me alone" she entered the bathroom and firmly closed the door behind her. Her eyes had still been wet, and her nose was red, but Kiba knew better to let her be for now.

Later, at the Halloween feast Hermione was still nowhere to be found. Harry, Ron and Kiba overheard Pervati saying that Hermione was still in the dungeon bathroom. Even though the decorations in the great hall and the life bats were fascinating Kiba couldn't get Hermione out of his head. He was about to get up from the table to look for her when the doors opened and professor Quirrell came running in. He came to a stop near the middle and hesitated. "troll in the dungeons" he said "thought you ought to know" and with those words he feel face first onto the ground.

The panic that followed was long enough for Kiba to escape and head for the dungeon. But he could already see the troll, it slumped because it barely fitted in the corridor dragging a giant club behind it, and the stench that spread from it was near unbearable. Kiba saw it heading for the girls bathroom when Harry and Ron appeared beside him.

"look the key!" Ron said "we can lock it in"

"no," Kiba hissed quickly "Hermione might still –" he stopped when they heard a high pitched scream from the bathroom. Not a second was wasted as the boys charged into the bathroom, shouting at the top of their lungs. Hermione stood with her back to the wall near the sinks, stareing at the troll. Harry sprung into action picking up pieces of wood from the broken stalls and throwing them at the troll. It barely noticed the contact of the wood but turn to Harry because of the noise he was making and was now walking in his direction.

"Oi! Pea-brain!" Ron shouted from the side of the troll which caused it to turn it's ugly snout towards him. The troll was now far away from Hermione who still didn't move, Harry and Kiba ran to her.

"Hermione?" Kiba asked as he placed his hands on her cheeks "are you hurt?" she placed her left hand on his hand which was on her left cheek and shook her head lightly.

"come on guys, run!" Harry yelled but Hermione still wouldn't move. The troll was now close enough to Ron and was about to swing his club when Harry decided to jump onto its back causing his still drawn wand to go up it's nostril. It grabbed Harry and held him in his free hand while holding his club above his head.

Ron drew his wand and cried the first spell that came to his mind "Wingardium Leviosa" to his surprise it worked. The club rose high into the air and then dropped onto its owner with a sickening crack. The troll groaned and then fell flat on it's face dropping Harry onto the cold ground. Hermione had sat down against the wall and Kiba was I walking beside her while Ron and Harry stood at the trolls head. Professor McGonagall entered with Professor Snape and Quirrell close behind.

"What on earth do you four think you are doing here?" McGonagall asked with fury in her eyes "you could've been killed!" Ron still stood with his wand raised in the air but nobody spoke a word

"it was me, Professor McGonagall" Hermione spoke softly and silently, she had risen to her feet and was telling a flat out lie. Hermione of all people.

"Miss Granger" McGonagall said with a slight hint of disbelief

"they came looking for me. I thought i could take on the troll on my own. I read all about them" Hermione explained, Ron dropped his wand and looked at Harry in disbelief "i'd be dead of they hadn't found me. It was about to finish me off when they found me"

"five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this" McGonagall said before turning to the three boys "as for you, ten points will be awarded to each of you" they all smiled at those words "for sheer, dumb luck. Not many first years could have taken on a fully grown mountain troll, and live to tell the tale. Off you go now, to your dormitories."

The four students didn't say much on their way to the portrait of the fat lady, but ones thing was sure. You don't fight and defeat a mountain troll without becoming friends. They all thanked each other as they ate in their common room. When they went to bed something popped into Kiba's mind. 'write to me!' the words echoed in his mind. He grabbed a piece of parchment and his feather and began writing. When he was finished he folded it neatly and placed it on an envelope.

"Hotaru," Kiba said quietly and immediately the dragon appeared beside him "can you bring this to the orphanage?" it looked at the envelope which simply said 'Faye' on it.

'of course' she replied 'should i stick around?'

"yeah, i told her to place her letter on the outside window sill" Kiba replied "make sure she doesn't see you. Thanks Hotaru, you're the best" he scratched her chin with his finger as afterwards the small dragon disappeared with the envelope in the grasp of her front talons.

 **yay, i finally got this done. i was planning to bring this chapter out on Christmas but was preoccupied with packing for a surprise trip which my parents gave me for Christmas a little early. But here it is. Tbh i kinda forgot about Faye a little so i decided to mention her again now. trust me it will be important later. so yeah, anyway. next chapter will be going on before and during Christmas and maybe afterwards a bit of time back in school.** **remember that you can create your own character to get featured in the story!** **Review and send me your thoughts!**


	6. Chapter 6: Nicolas who?

Chapter 6: Nicolas who?

Harry had grown more and more nervous over the course of the last couple of days. He was to play his first ever Quidditch match was later that day, against Slytherin no less. And then there was that whole Snape thing going on, he had tried to get past the three headed dog on Halloween during the troll panic, and Harry had seen the wound. Hermione and Kiba couldn't really believe that a Hogwarts teacher would try to steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe, but Ron was with Harry. Indeed he was cruel to most non-Slytherins, but much more towards Harry and Ron.

Hermione, Kiba and Ron had wished Harry good luck before they had gone up to the stands to wait for the start of the match. It didn't take long until Wood, the team captain, flew onto the pitch followed by Harry and then the Weasley twins. The three chasers lined up with one of the beaters on either side while Harry hovered high above them.

"Now, i want a nice and clean game" Madam Hooch, the match referee, shouted loudly from the ground beside a giant box "from all of you" she added looking towards the Slytherin team. She bend down and opened the box and out shot three bludgers followed by the golden snitch. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and threw the quaffle high into the air, it was immediately seized by one of Gryffindor's chasers and the game began.

Kiba observed, and watched as Harry flew in a high circle searching for the snitch, like a hawk looking for a mouse in the grass, and like a hawk he suddenly dove towards the ground. It seemed like no one was paying attention to the Quaffle anymore as Harry chased the snitch. "Budge up there, will ye?"

"Hagrid" Hermione and Ron greeted the tall man that had now taken up as much space on a bench as four first years, "glad you could make it"

"yer Kiba eh?" Hagrid asked "Rubeus Hagrid" he extended his gigantic hand and Kiba shook it with a nod.

"What is Harry doing?" Ron asked out of the blue, Hermione and Kiba whipped their heads back to the game and saw what Ron meant. Harry was dangling from his broom in mid air and it was shaking violently.

"somethings wrong with his broom" Hagrid said

"if i didn't know better, i'd say it's bewitched" Hermione added

"flint must've done something to it when he blocked Harry" Ron muttered

"nonsense, can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful dark magic" Hagrid replied, at those words Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars. She began scanning the stands, she gave them to Kiba with a shocked expression and disappeared.

"What's that about?" Ron asked, Kiba also scanned the stands and then saw what Hermione saw. Snape, he had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering under his breath.

"It's Snape, he's jinxing Harry's broom" Kiba replied, Ron looked in the direction that Kiba was pointing and saw it too. "Hermione is probably going to try and stop him. Let's hope she does" and indeed, a few moments later Snape's long black cloak was on fire and Harry finally got back onto his broom and dashed after the snitch. Harry stood on his broom as he reached for the snitch. Hermione had just returned to her seat when Harry tumbled, fell and rolled on the ground.

"i think he's gonna be sick" Hagrid said when Harry stood and grabbed his stomach, he gagged as then spit something into his hand.

"Harry Potter has done it" Lee Jordan shouted through the announcer microphone "Harry Potter has caught the golden snitch, Gryffindor wins!"

"now that's one for the history books" Kiba joked "Let's get down and wait for Harry" the others agreed and with Hagrid they waited by the changing room for Harry

"yer wanna come to me hut?" Hagrid asked the four kids "I'll make yer a nice cup o' tee" Harry nodded enthusiastically, he wanted to know what he looked like on the pitch, and as they walked they could Flint complain to Madam Hooch about how Harry had caught the snitch.

Hagrid's hut was a small building at the edge off the forbidden forest near the bottom of a hill. A small path lead from the castle down to it where Harry was just being told what had happened to his broom. "now why would Snape do somethin' like that?" Hagrid asked,

"i found out he tried to get past the three headed dog at Halloween" Harry answered. Hagrid almost dropped his teapot at Harry's answer.

"how'd you find out about Fluffy?" He asked in disbelief

"Fluffy?!" Kiba Said "is he yours?"

"Yeah, he's mine. Bought him off a chappie from the pub, almost a year ago. Lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"to guard the?" Harry said trying to push Hagrid to an answer

"now don't ask any more. that's top secret that is" The half giant said "and Snape is a Hogwarts teacher, he'd never steal from the castle"

"then why did he try to kill Harry?" Hermione asked "i know a jinx when i see one"

"listen, yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh" Hagrid said firmly "all four of yeh, it's dangerous. Forget the dog an' what it's guarding. that's between professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel-" Hagrid looked very angry when that last name left his mouth and turned around muttering under his breath "i should not have said that"

"Nicolas Flamel?" Harry and Kiba asked simultaneously as they looked at each other.

One day, in the middle of December, Hogwarts awoke covered in several feet of snow. Students were now more commonly found in the great hall or their common room by three giant fires, because the halls were very cold during the winter. Draco had gotten more unbearable by the day, bragging about what he will be getting for Christmas. One cold potions lesson at Kiba, Harry and Draco's table while Kiba was preparing his mistletoe berries for the potion he was making, Draco had to open his mouth "i feel bad for all those people who stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home"

He had been targeting Harry ever since he caught the snitch to defeat Slytherin. He had been running they same joke that any wide mouthed animal would replace Harry but now came back to hammering on the fact that Harry had no family. After the lesson Snape called Kiba to him.

"i really shouldn't keep my friends waiting" Kiba said

"i only wish to convey a message" the Professor answered "i simply ment to wish you enjoyable holidays, and to say that Dumbledore wished to see you. Immediately" Kiba nodded and quickly made his way to the headmaster office. To his surprise the staircase was already there and he quickly ran up the spiral staircase and knocked on the door.

"ah yes, Mr. Scamander." The old wizard said "i heard from professor McGonagall that you are going back to the muggle orphanage"

"yes, sir. That is correct" Kiba replied "made a promise to my friend"

"and how are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked

"much better then at the start of the year"

"how come?"

"well, you know. At first i thought that Mr. Lupin was making all this up, and then i thought i wouldn't fit in" Kiba said happily "but i was wrong, i have friends here, people who care about me"

"you might want to buy a owl by the way" Dumbledore said with a little smile "they are much better at delivering your letters" Dumbledore slid a letter towards him, it had been opened and it was the one Kiba had send to Faye. Then Dumbledore put a cage on his desk. "now, Hagrid told me what kind of dragon this is, and you are lucky to have her" he opened the cage and out flew Hotaru.

"there you are!" Kiba said "i was wondering where you were. Did you have her all this time, sir?" Dumbledore nodded and made the cage disappear with a slight hand movement.

"a word of caution Mr. Scamander, if others saw this dragon they might not be kind enough to spare it like i did" Dumbledore said "wolf dragons have a high value among dark and criminal wizards, so be careful who sees her, or it might get you in trouble" Hotaru quickly climbed into Kiba shirt "enjoy the holidays" Dumbledore called after him as the boy left.

Kiba quickly made for the library since he had almost half an hour before lunch, he entered as found Ron, Hermione and Harry already searching. The four had agreed to search for any information on Nicolas Flamel and spent most their free time searching. Kiba quickly sat down next to Hermione and began to help her with the books she had picked out.

"you will keep searching while we are find right?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron when the bell rung for lunchtime.

"we've already searched every section" Ron complained

"not the restricted section" Kiba replied.

The next morning all the students that went back home for the holidays took the self moving carriages to the station after breakfast to take the train back to kings cross. Kiba sat with Hermione and Neville for the entire ride, and stayed with Hermione even after they left the platform 9 3/4. "Mom. Dad!" Hermione ran to her parents and hugged them tightly.

"honey we missed you so much" Mr. Granger said

"how was it? You have to tell us everything" her mother squealed

"my rides here" Kiba said to Hermione "Happy holidays and Merry –" Hermione suddenly embraced him tightly "Christmas"

"Merry Christmas, Kiba. See you soon" she replied. Kiba also wished her parents Merry Christmas and then pushed his trolley to the small car. Only to find not Miss Helaway, but Sister Crawford behind the wheel.

"Kiba my dear" she quickly got out of the car and knelt down to hug the boy. "i missed you"

"i missed you too" the boy replied. To him, Sister Crawford had always been a sort of kind and loving older sister.

"Miss Helaway was busy so she told me to get you. let's get your trunk in the back, and then you can hop into the front seat" Kiba couldn't help but smile, he was going to sit in the front seat, that was something new, and new always excited Kiba. Little did he know there was another surprise, when he returned to the orphanage he saw something he had never seen before. In the corner of the entrance corridor stood a Christmas tree with lights, ornaments and a big star on top.

"wow!" Kiba said aloud

"yeah, it's beautiful" Sister Crawford said

"who put that there, Sister Crawford? It can't have been Miss Helaway"

"no it wasn't her. The tree is courtesy of Mister Edward Kenway" Sister Crawford looked very happy "i haven't seen a Christmas tree in this orphanage since i was a little girl, nearly eighteen years ago, when the old Miss Maudy died"

"ouf" Kiba felt the air being pushed out of his body when he fell on his stomach with someone on his back. The person on top him was laughing uncontrollably, he turned his head to look at the girl on top of him. She brushed her black lock back with her hand and smiled at the boy.

"you should be in bed young lady" Sister Crawford said with a chuckle

"i had to welcome Kiba back properly, Lucy" she replied

"Lucy?" Kiba asked when he was finally back on his feet

"whenever Miss Helaway isn't around you can call me Lucy, it's my name" Sister Crawford replied "but now off to bed. Kiba can tell you all about his school at breakfast" the two children nodded and proceeded up the stairs, whispering so that they wouldn't wake Helaway or the others. Kiba pulled his trunk inside his room and flopped down on the bed.

"somehow, it feels good to be back here" Kiba sighed "even if it's only for a few weeks" Kiba felt Hotaru under his shirt as something popped into his mind. "hey Hotaru?" he said "did Faye ever give you a letter?" the Dragon poked it's head out off the shirt and shook her head

"i waited but she didn't even open yours" she replied

"but it was open when Dumbledore gave it to me"

"yes, he opened it to see who wrote it. that's how her made the connection, that i am yours"

"wait. Where did you put the letter?"

"on her desk, in full view. But it never moved"

"weird. She must've overlooked it, it's a big desk after all, and she only ever does her homework on it and nothing else. She was probably too focused."

\--

 **AN: Happy New Year i guess. Yeah, i was super sick and couldn't finish this chapter but... YAY we're half way thorough book one. I think i might only use one chapter for Christmas because I'm introducing a new character (sadly not a fan requested one [come on people, Send in some side character ideas] ) and you will understand why some time in the future. So yeah stay tuned peace.**

 **Edit: I've picked up writing on Moe!NG again so yay to that too**


	7. Chapter 7: Cheer up, it's Christmas

**quick info. if something is written like** _This_ **it means it is either: 1. a flashback 2. a dream, or 3. in the characters mind/head.** **if it's only in dialogue it means it's a incantation of a spell.**

Chapter 7: Cheer up, it's Christmas

Kiba had been plagued by nightmares night after night for the last three days. In one of them he stood in the middle of a battle, a fought between Muggels and Wizards. In the next he was on the side of the Wizards, casting spells at the Muggels with Harry and Hermione by his side. And in the third he was with the Muggels, and Faye. A gun was in his hand and he fired aimlessly into the army of Wizards. Kiba felt the conflict that was displayed in the dreams. He was a Wizard, yes. But he was, for the longest time, a Muggel from Leverton's. But he could not pick a side, and he hoped he would never have to. He had friends on both, but he couldn't live without any of them.

However, none of those nightmares could compare to the one on Christmas morning. It wasan old man that spoke to him, but he wasn't kind like Dumbledore, no not at all. He was cruel, harsh and shouted at Kiba for no reason at all. The man was tall and bald, with a long grey beard hanging from his pointy chin. He was clothed in a long black cloak with a green locket, which hung from his neck.

 _"how pathetic" he hissed "you could, no SHOULD have been in Slytherin. Slytherin would have made the Wizard of you that you ought to be"_

 _"who are you?" Kiba asked "where am i?"_

 _"the blood that runs within you, so pure, yet so…" the man turned away "you don't deserve to be it, you don't deserve to speak the language of the snakes"_

 _"to be what?"_

 _"The heir has been in Slytherin, always" he turned back to Kiba and leaned forward to bring his wrinkled face to his "i can smell that Gryffindor filth on you" he stood straight once again and looked into the pitch black behind Kiba. "it turned you into something you are not"_

 _"what am i supposed to be?" Kiba asked_

 _"NOT THIS!" the man shouted "friendships with half-bloods and Mudbloods" he spat the last word with genuine disgust "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!" Kiba stepped back when the man yelled once more. "your father would've been ashamed. That you would prefer to stay with those Muggles, how could my bloodline have come to this"_

 _"who are you?"_

 _"i will have you!" the man said with anger "you will fulfil your purpose as the heir!"_

 _"what if i don't want to?!" Kiba had no clue what was going on, who he was talking to, or what he was taking about. Without a word the man whipped out his wand and Kiba flew towards him. He caught the boy by the throat and held him for a few seconds before slamming him to the ground, he pointed his wand at the boy and spoke_

" _Expulso_ " Kiba's breath got stuck in his throat when he felt his entire body explode in an intense moment of pain only to realize he was sitting upright in his bed with cold sweat flowing down his face. A quick look out of the window told Kiba it was very early, but he didn't want to go back to sleep. "let this be a lesson" Kiba hard the voice echo inside his head, but how could it? It was a nightmare a dream. But it felt so real, like that man was really inside his head, trying to make him do things He didn't want to. He slid out of his bed and proceeded out of his room.

"maybe i really should have been in Slytherin" he muttered. He picked up the newspaper by the door and headed into the living room, he climbed over the back of the sofa and sat down on it and opened the newspaper. He wanted to forget about his dream, push it away, say it was a lie… but it wasn't. When Kiba was sorted he already had the feeling that something was wrong with it. It did want to put him in Slytherin at first, but what did it matter? Kiba was happy to be a Gryffindor. He looked back down at the paper, realizing he had torn a page in half. He threw the paper onto the coffee table and leaned back.

Kiba decided he'd rather wait in his room for Breakfast. He climbed back over the back of the sofa and headed up the stairs, when he turned the corner however he bumped into a boy he hadn't seen before. "sorry 'bout that" Kiba said, but the smaller boy with his silver hair didn't reply however, he just smiled and continued running down the stairs. Kiba opened the sport to his room and saw that hiss bed was occupied.

"how do you do, Wolf-boy?" the girl asked, "what's with that grim face Kiba? Come on, cheer up it's Christmas"

"Fine" Kind replied giving the girl a weak smile "but why are you here this early, Faye?"

"heard you had a bad dream" she replied

"how'd you know?"

"you know, when someone yelles at the top of their lungs it's bound to wake someone. So here i am"

"so you came to check on me?"

"you could say that, and to bring you this" she reached for something behind herself and pulled out a package "got something for me?"

"of course" Kiba retrieved a box from underneath of his bed and they exchanged their gifts.

"Merry Christmas" they said simultaneously

Kiba opened his and inside was a Watch it was a Rose Gold watch with a black leather strap and a Black Bazel insert and crystal. "holy…" Kiba quickly strapped it to his inner left wrist, so that when his palm was pointed to him he could see the time.

"your weird, wearing watched like that" Faye said with a chuckle "you like it?"

"it's amazing did Mr. Kenway let you buy this?"

"yeah, they said i talked allot about you, so they wanted me to get you something"

"how much did it cost? It must be really expensive"

"somewhere around 270 pounds?"

"and i only got you a box of weird Scottish sweets, next year we will have gifts of equal prize"

"You always have to be the best right? Jelly slugs, weirdly flavoured beans, chocolate that looks like a frog, liquorice wands. What more could i ask for?" Hermione had taught Kiba a simple spell to stop the sweets from moving, and he had made sure to use it on them.

"by the way, careful with those beans" Kiba said as she opened the pack "when they say every flavour, they mean it. And some are pretty nasty"

"i don't believe that" she said as she tossed one into her mouth

"make sure to give Mr. Kenway my thanks for the watch will you?" Kiba said, returning to admiring the watch.

"i will. Eww, this one tastes like grass" she looked at Kiba who just smirked back at her with a look that said 'told you so' they broke into laughter and then geek quiet.

"Hey, Faye. There was a let-" Kiba began, he wanted to know about the letter but he was cut off by Miss Helaway who called for Breakfast. Before Kiba could continue Faye wad on her feet and out of the room, Kiba placed the watch in its box and hid it safely underneath his bed.

"you wanted to ask her about the letter right?" Hotaru asked from her spot on top of the wardrobe, "don't worry, you'll find they right time to ask her"

Kiba nodded and then left the room. He walked down the stairs, got his food and sat down art his usual table. But it wasn't just Faye and him anymore, there sat the silver haired boy, right next to him. "oh yeah, you two haven't met" Faye said "Jacob this is Kiba, Kiba this is Jacob. He's mute, only communicates in sign language"

"oh well, nice to meet you. Merry Christmas" Kiba said, the boy smiled and nodded and returned to eating his pancakes. Christmas breakfast had always been pancakes, but now that Kiba could eat pancakes every other morning at Hogwarts they didn't seem so special anymore.

"so tell me about your school" The Girl said excitedly resting her elbow on the table and leaning her head on to her hand. "i want to know it all"

"well," Kiba began, he cleared his throat trying to think of anything he could tell her "for starters there was this sorting ceremony where we got placed into our houses"

"how many options where there"

"it wasn't really options, you were sorted by the traits you displayed"

"how'd they know that?"

"erm, we took a test. They worked out our character traits by our answers. There is Slytherin, it's trait is Ambition i think. There is Hufflepuff, very loyal and kind. Ravenvlaw, intelligent and Gryffindor, the brave"

"woah, and which one are you? I think you fit in that Raven house.. or the huffledoves"

"well they said i could fit in all off them, but eventually they decided on Gryffindor for me. It was close, they could have put me in Slytherin too"

"Kay, and what kind of things did you learn?" her head was now rested on both her hands

"well we have a gardening class, fairly standard. You know, planting seeds and such. Science, in which we mix chemicals and document the reactions. We also have physics, we talked allot about the theory of levitation" Kiba felt bad, he was half lieing but telling a varied version of the truth too and Faye clung to every word. Worst of all she believed it all. "and then all the regular topics: History, wild life studies, art, and self defence"

"self defence? Sounds normal" Faye replied with a laugh

"it's more like sports, but yeah the goal is to teach us to defend ourselves. But let me tell you, our teacher is a wuss" Kiba joined Faye in her laughter and they brought their plates to the kitchen where Lucy was washing them.

"Merry Christmas you two" she said

"Merry Christmas, Sister Crawford" they replied simultaneously

The Holidays went by faster then Kiba had liked but it was worth the time he got spend with Faye even of she had spend the day after Christmas with the Kenway's. Kiba took that time to head into a local book shop to buy a book to learn sign language, in Jacob kinda could see a opportunity for a new friend so he wanted to learn to communicate with him. And to be fair, Jacob seemed to like the older boy. However, Kiba never managed to ask Faye about the letter. Every time he tried to, someone would interrupt him a dd before he knew it he was on the train back to Hogwarts with Hermione.

"how were your holidays?" Hermione asked

"it was good, though it felt different then it used to" Kiba replied

"i know what you mean, back among Muggels" she smiled "but it must be harder for you. Not being able to tell anyone"

"it's alright, i can tell them the things that don't involve magic as for the rest i can just change the truth a bit" Kiba replied "i said potions was science, and that Charms was Physics"

"clever, you found anything about Flamel?"

"i checked all my books, i didn't have a chance to go to Diagon Alley, came up with nothing. You?"

"nothing" she replied, shaking her head. "i hope Harry and Ron found something" the two looked out of the window with hope, the hope that they weren't already to late. That Snape hadn't already stolen what ever it was, or worse had done something to Harry or Ron. "Hey Kiba, what's that?" Hermione pointed to his bag, rather to something that was protruding from a pocket on the side.

"this?" Kiba pulled out the sealed envelope and showed it to Hermione

"yeah"

"i don't know" Kiba replied as he looked down upon the name that was written on the envelope 'Kiba' it read, just his first name, in red ink.

 _"it was in your basket the day you came to us" Lucy said "i was told that you would go to a school called Hogwarts, and that i was to give it to you on your first Christmas when you are in said school" she handed Kiba the envelope_ _"who gave you those instructions?" Kiba asked_ _"i.. I'm not supposed.. i can't tell you" Lucy replied, she looked terrified when she spoke_

"Kiba?" Hermione snapped her finger pulling Kiba back to reality "who send you that?"

"i don't know, it was in my basket. The day i came to Leverton's" Kiba replied "Sister Crawford was instructed to give it to me during my first Hogwarts year"

"then you should open it, there must be a good reason" Hermione said, and she was probably right but Kiba refused to open it and stuffed it back into the pocket. The envelope seemed new but old at the same time, and Kiba had a feeling that he wouldn't like what was written inside. What ever truths it held, or lies, Kiba didn't care. He never wanted to find out. Hermione couldn't hide her concern, a mysterious letter without a sender was a bad sign, even in the world of wizards but there was something else on Kiba's mind.

"say Hermione, so you know something about 'the Language of Snakes'?" he asked

"erm, yeah" she replied "one of the founders of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin, was, what is called a Parselmouth" Hermione looked up at the boy who continued stareing out the window "Parseltounge is the Language of the snakes"

"and a Parselmouth is someone who speaks it" Kiba finished her sentence

"I'm not sure how it works, i think it happens unconsciously" Hermione added "why?"

"no reason, i had a dream where it was mentioned"

 _"you don't deserve to speak the language of the snakes"_ _"shut up! How are you here?"_ _"you're a disgrace"_ _"Get out of my head!"_

"- but if it was just a dream, then i wouldn't dwell on it" He heard Hermione say

"yeah, you're right" Kiba replied even though he had only heard the end of it. He was probably just imagining things, maybe because he was hungry. Not long now and he would be feasting in the great hall again. Or he would be by the warm fire in the common room with Harry and Hermione, or in his comfortable four poster getting a good night's sleep. But sleep had to wait, Harry had found a magical artefact called 'The Mirror of Erised' which showed ones deepest most desperate desire. Kiba was fascinated and couldn't stop thinking about what it might show him, but Hermione was furious. She couldn't believe Harry had not used his invisibility cloak, which he had gotten for Christmas, to get into the restricted section.

"but i did" Harry protested "and the bloody book screamed at me, i would've been caught had i not made a run for it" but Flamel and the mirror both weren't the most important thing on Harry's mind. He had a Quidditch match coming up, and Snape was refereeing. "this is… this is just… just absolute.." Harry stammered

"bullshit?" Ron said, finishing Harry's sentence

"don't swear" Hermione hissed at Ron

"Torment wound describe it better anyways" Harry said "if Snape tries to do something you'll stop him, right?" he asked, looking towards Kiba more then Ron

"what can Snape do?" Kiba asked "i mean as long as other teachers are around, and especially Dumbledore you'll be fine"

"can't you just say you're sick our something?" Ron asked ignoring Kiba's statement "you must have a reserve seeker right?" Harry shook his head in defeat

"no. Besides, if i dropped out Wood would be furious" he said, "Neville?" Neville had appeared out of no where, he hopped into the common room and shortly after fell flat on his face.

"please help, Malfoy used the Leg-Locker curse on me" The frantic boy said trying to get back onto his feet, Kiba was fastest to react and pointed his wand at Neville's knees. The tip of his wand was illuminated with a purple glow and Neville was free.

"I'm off to bed" Kiba said

"really? can't you see Harry needs our help?" Ron called after him

"Dumbledore is going to be at every match from now" Kiba called back "you'll be fine" and with those final words he disappeared at the top of the spiral staircase and entered the first years dorm.

"he's right, you know" Hermione added "Snape won't try anything when Dumbledore is around"

"see you at the game, Kiba?" Hermione asked after their charms class the next day

"yeah" he replied "wouldn't miss out Harry showing Snape what he is made of" he gently punched Harry's shoulder, but at the same time he saw something dash around the corner in front of them.

"where you going?" Ron asked

"something i gotta do, I'll be at the game later" the brown-red haired boy assured. Kiba followed to soft tapping noises, it was undoubtedly a animal.

"which way? Which way?" he heard it say repeatedly. It was a make voice, though quite high pitched. He sounds very excited, maybe it was a hyperactive Rat. But no, the creature that he saw slip around the corner was larger then a Rat and had white fur. Kiba followed the voice, and noises until it came into view. The white and brown furred creature was sniffing through the corridors, from one wall to the other.

It was undoubtedly a young Crups, a Dog with a forked tail and a sort of goatee by which their age can be identified. The hair that had grown on the creatures chin wasn't very long, which ment it must be still quite young. "are you lost?" Kiba asked. The dog whipped his head around as trotted towards the boy.

"you smell of Muggel" he barked

"i know, and i know your kind isn't very fond of Muggels" Kiba said as he squatted low. He extended his hand and let the Dog sniff it "yet you haven't answered my question"

"did you… Understand me?" the dog asked in disbelief "by my tail, you do!" Kiba shrugged his shoulders and gently patted the dogs head. "i am, infact, lost"

"are you from the Care of Magical Creatures Reservoir?" Kiba asked, the dog nodded and wagged it's forked tail happily "i can take you there, come on" Kiba rose and walked with the Dog beside him, getting the occasional weird glance from other students.

"what's your name?" The dog asked when they had finally found their way out of the castle

"Kiba, and yours?"

"I'm referred to as: Lancelot" the Crups said proudly "how come your a Gryffindor?" Kiba stopped dead in his tracks

"sorry, what did you say?" he asked

"i was just curious. You seem more like a Hufflepuff to me" Lancelot whined "i didn't mean to offend"

"don't worry, i was just thinking of something" Kiba replied as he resumed to walk "how come you know about the houses?"

"Well, i get to watch the lessons you have. And sometimes I'm the subject" Lancelot held his head high and jumped a bit "you pick up on things that way"

"i guess, but why Huffelpuff?" Kiba asked, filled with curiosity to know Lancelot's view of the houses

"well, i think a Ravenclaw would have walked past, and a Slytherin too but they might add an insult or laugh about my 'stupidity'. A Gryffindor would probably give directions, but Hufflepuff's are usually the kindest. Like you, they would offer to take me back to where i belong" he explained, meanwhile they had arrived at the entrance to the reservoir.

"i hope you find your way from here" Kiba said stopping by the gate "First years aren't allowed in"

"i will find my way from here, thank you very much" the Crups licked Kiba's hand as a sign of gratitude and proceeded through the gate "i hope to see you again, Kiba" Kiba smiled and waved as Lancelot disappeared in the thicket of the forest.

"oh man!" Kiba shouted when he took a look at his watch "I'm late for the game" without wasting another second he ran, through the vast corridors of the castle to get to the other side, to the Quidditch pitch. But the Quidditch pitch was empty, as were the stands. "I'm barely seven minutes late" Kiba murmured when he turned back to head for the common room

"Kiba!" he heard a voice call for him "Kiba you won't believe this," it was Harry, he came running from the broom shed "where are Ron and Hermione?"

"in the common room probably, i missed the game" Kiba replied

"it didn't even last five minutes, come on" Harry continued running and Kiba followed suit until they reached the fat lady and entered the common room.

"Kiba, there you are!" Ron exclaimed "you should've seen Harry go out there. He really showed it to Snape!"

"oh yeah," Hermione burst out "listen, we found Flamel" the three quickly brought Kiba up to speed, and then Harry told them what he had just heard in the forbidden forest.

"so he tried to steal the stone from Gringots, then from Hogwarts at Halloween. And now he's going to strike again?" Kiba asked

"yeah," Harry replied "but he needs something, probably a spell, from Quirrell"

"as long as that bumbling idiot keeps quiet, we have time" Hermione added

"it'll be gone tomorrow" Kiba spat, the others agreed with knowing nods.

"all we can do for now is hope. Hope that Quirrell hangs on top his ba-" Hermione punched Ron's shoulder hard to stop him from swearing.

"we have to focus on our classes to, don't forget about that" she said "we can think of ways to stop Snape in the afternoon"


	8. Chapter 8: Crossing the line

Chapter 8: Crossing the line

Hermione had never been more right, somehow their lessons seemed harder then they did before Christmas. One late evening, while Kiba was helping Ron and Harry with their Transfigureation homework, Hedwig came swooping through the window onto the table. "it's from Hagrid" Harry said and before Kiba knew it, the homework was pushed aside. "the egg is hatching!" Harry said excitedly

"egg?" Kiba asked

"Hagrid got himself a Dragon egg, Norwegian Rideback" Ron whispered "no time to waste, let's go"

"a dragon egg? How do i always miss these things?" Kiba said to himself as he followed the other three "wait, doesn't Hagrid live in a wooden hut?"

"that's what i said" Hermione replied

"get moving you two!" Ron pushed them "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity"

"we should be studying" Hermione complained "especially you, Ron. You need some good grades" they reached Hagrids hut and saw him waiting outside. He couldn't hide the happiness from his gigantic, beard covered face and he seemed almost childlike giddy. Hagrid really did love magical creatures, and he really did want to care for them.

"come on in, come on in" he said with glee "i think he's ready" he retrieved three charred black egg from the cauldron above the fire and placed it on the middle of the high table. It cracked and paces began to fall of as a small set of talons came into view, meanwhile Hotaru clambered onto Kiba's shoulder to watch as well. The egg cracked once more and then the shell burst into a puff of smoke, sending pieces everywhere. Ron had a gigantic grin on his face while Hermione turned her head away and gagged

"disgusting" she said, Harry rubbed his eye because it had caught a bit of smoke. Kiba however, remained still.

"look at 'im, ain't beau'iful? Jus' look" Hagrid sniffed when tears threatened to flow. The small creature kicked off the remnants of the egg shell and turned to face Hagrid. It let out a little shriek and the faced the others.

"he recognises you as his parent, Hagrid" Kiba whispered

"does he now?" he asked turning to face Kiba. But when he did, he saw the creature on Kiba's shoulder "blimey Kiba, this beau'y yers?"

"huh?" Kiba looked at Hagrid only now realizing that Hotaru was sat on his shoulder "Hotaru, i told you-" before Kiba could even finish the blue-ish Dragon was back hidden inside his shirt

"does Dumbledore know?" the half-giant asked, Kiba simply nodded and smiled

"Hagrid you do know that this-" Hermione began

"Norbert" Hagrid intervened

"-that Norbert" Hermione continued "is not like Kiba's Dragon. he's going to be bigger then your hut.. Twice as big, probably"

"my brother, Charlie, works with theses kind of dragons, in Romania. Maybe you can send him there" Ron suggested

"But wha' of he don' like Romania?" Hagrid asked "wha' if the other Dragons are mean too 'im?"

"you can't keep him here either" Hermione stated

"oh, alrigh'! S'pose Norbert is betta of with 'is kind" Hagrid said "now, off to bed yeh kids, I'll send Charlie a letter meself"

Harry was suddenly fixed on a point behind Kiba, the window to be exact but Hagrid was fast with shooeing the four out.

The days passed and the risk of Norbert being discovered grew with each passing one; worst of all, Harry had spotted Draco Malfoy in the window the day he hatched, question was: How much had he seen? Enough apparently, he smirked at the quartet every time they crossed paths.

But the Dragon grew in size with each passing day, and the exchange plan went from being a seemingly easy task to a near impossible mission. The idea was that Ron would go up to the astronomy tower and clear the path, so that Kiba could lure Norbert to Harry and Hermione where they would cover him with the invisibility cloak as much as possible to take him to the tower as well. But Ron's part had to be scratched, Norbert had accidentally whipped Ron's arm with its tail, sending him straight to the hospital wing. Everything went smoothly until they found the hallway leading to the tower blocked by a cat. "it's Mrs. Norris" Harry whispered "what do we do?"

"only one way to get past" Kiba said "let's pray that i don't run into McGonagall like Draco did, or worse Filch. Wait until you are sure Filch and that stupid cat are past" Kiba ran out of their cover and dashed into the next corridor with the cat close behind, and soon Filch.

"let's go" Hermione whispered.

Kiba ran through the vast hallways trying to escape from that blasted cat. He had finally created some distance as he turned another corner only to crash right into Neville. "Blimey, Neville" Kiba said "what are you doing here?"

"i was going to distract Filch so that you could reach the tower" he replied getting to his feet. He loud meow echoed from the hall walls

"to late, i have Mrs. Norris on my tail already" Kiba explained and right he was, as the cat came into view with another meow.

'found you' Kiba heard her hiss, he looked around as saw a seemingly unlocked for further down the hall.

"this is a bad idea" Kiba whispered as he took out his wand "but there is no other way" her pointed it at the Cat that was fast approaching them. Filch's footsteps could now be heard too. "Locomotor Mortis" Kiba whispered, and next they knew Mrs. Norris' paws were stuck together as she fell and rolled over the stone floor. "Neville run, through there" the two boys ran as fast as their legs could take them, the way back to the Astronomy tower and up the stairs where they saw Norbert being taken away.

"you made it back, i was beginning to worry" Hermione said once she spotted Kiba

"yeah but we better hurry before Filch catches us" he said as the four proceeded down the stairs "if he finds out i Cursed Mrs. Norris then I'm in real-" he stopped when they reached the bottom of the stairs "Trouble" he finished

"look here my sweet," Filch said to the cat that was cradled in his arms like a baby "oh dear they are in trouble"

"outrageous!" McGonagall spat "such disgusting behaviour, from my own house no less"

The four Gryffindor had been delivered into Professor McGonagall's study by the Caretaker Mr. Filch without a second of hesitation, to receive a scolding beyond measure. After McGonagall had undone the Leg-locker Curse from the Cat Filch had even requested that Kiba be expelled for his actions, but McGonagall denied. But nonetheless, her nostrils flared with anger and her eyes pierced through all of them, ready to detect a lie. "what were you even doing? Trying to get some pretty revenge on Draco Malfoy i presume?"

"no professor, we were helping Hagrid-" Neville began but he flinched under McGonagalls angered gaze

"it's true –"

"Silence Scamander" McGonagall interrupted "I'm disgusted by you most of all" she said "attacking the caretakers Cat was crossing the line" she looked toward the other two for answers but Harry and Hermione stayed silent, they knew that they couldn't talk themselves out of it without ratting out the gamekeeper. "very well, of there is nothing more to say. Fifty points will be taken" she said. Kiba could see a smile form on Harry's face, but he didn't feel the same, had they really gotten off this easily? "each" McGonagall added and Harry's smile disappeared.

"each?" Harry repeated "but professor that is two hundred points, we'll lose the lead"

"you all need to understand the seriousness of your actions, especially you Kiba" McGonagall said "you will also receive detention, details on which will be delivered to you" she stared at them in silence for a minute before speaking once more "Leave. Off to Bed. I can't look at you any longer, my own students… i am absolutely appalled. I expected better of all of you, my own Gryffindors" The four hung their heads low as they left the study as McGonagall continued with her tutting. Two hundred points. Gone, just like that. The house cup was definitely lost; and all because they did what they believed to be right. And what would the other Gryffindors do when they found out that the golden boy and his friends were to blame?

After that night Kiba felt more isolated then ever before. He felt that he didn't belong in Gryffindor, that he didn't belong with Harry, Hagrid, Ron, Neville and Hermione. ' _had i been in Slytherin or Hufflepuff, then none of this would have happened_ ' Kiba thought ' _all this because of an oaf that had to have a Dragon, and Potter who dragged me… woah slow down there Kiba, get your shit together. They are your friends, and it was you that attacked Mrs. Norris not them, the punishment is mostly your doing_ ' he told himself ' _McGonagall wouldn't take two hundred points for simply being out of bed after hours. But you had to curse the Cat_ ' Kiba entered the common room and headed straight for bed without another word, he didn't even check on Hotaru.

Neville didn't take long to get into bed either but he ended up crying for several hours, so long in fact that sleep had escaped from Harry who constantly rolled from side to side. Kiba refused to close his eyes, he felt like he would be plagued by another nightmare anyways. He knew that before noon the next day he would be hated by Gryffindors of all ages. ' _do i even belong here at all?_ "

The following days had been a disaster for Kiba, Neville and Hermione. But none of them were hit as hard as Harry, who wasn't only hated by Gryffindor but by Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as well. Kiba had returned to his pre-Hogwarts state, he would go where ever he could be alone, mostly to study with Hotaru somewhere near him or to simply sit and think. Somehow it helped the young wizard, he felt closer to home then he had ever felt in Hogwarts before. Kiba was convinced that it was his fault that they were caught that day, and felt that he was responsible for the punishment they received even though Harry claimed it was his. Classes had changed as well, whenever Kiba was picked to answer a question the others wound groan or shout something at him. Snape had become insufferable as soon as Slytherin took the lead in house points, and Quirrell had become an even bigger bumbling idiot. But something else was happening, something Kiba had never paid attention to. More and more Girls had seemingly found an interest in the wizard, among which where the Patil sisters and Lavender Brown.

"Hey, Kiba" a voice said from beside him one day while he sat in the library, Kiba jumped a little at the unexpected voice. It seemed that even in the short time it had been that the hate for the loss of points was dieing down. Kiba turned to face the red haired girl beside him, she had a wide grin on her face and gazed at Kiba with her blue eyes "sorry, I'm Lara. Can i ask you something?"

"yeah sure, go ahead" Kiba replied looking back at his Defence Against the Dark Arts book.

"do you have a girlfriend?" Kiba slammed his book shut and stared at the girl beside him, from the corner of his eyes he saw Hermione, Ron and Harry look at them. "I'm asking for a friend" she added

"what kind of question is that anyways?" he replied quietly

"well, my friend Fay constantly talks about you, even though currently she kinda hates you, but she doesn't mean it" the girl said, talking very fast "she keeps saying that you are acting rude by ignoring everybody. But i think she loves you and –" she clapped her hand onto her mouth and widened her eyes.

"WHAT?!"

"i wasn't supposed to tell you that" Lara said, she got up and ran out of the library without another word. Kiba remained seated and dumbfounded for a while before he gathered his books and got up to leave. When someone tapped his shoulder.

"uhm Kiba?" it was Padma Patil with Parvati close behind

"Padma. I'm not in the mood for this, don't say anything" Kiba said

"we just wanted to ask for your help" Padma replied

"i don't feel like helping anyone"

"it's just Astronomy, it'll be quick" Parvati said, she widened her eyes and looked at Kiba with her best puppy eyes "please?" she pleaded. Kiba sighed and placed his books back onto the table

"Fine" he said, knowing well that giving in was a bad idea "But only if you promise not to follow me around anymore, don't think i haven't noticed you and Lavender these past days"

The other two nodded and sat down beside Kiba. The embarrassed boy quickly began helping them with their notes. Kiba had never really cared about what he looked like to others, he wasn't vain, in his appearance at least. But the boy couldn't understand why the girls suddenly had an interest in him, especially after he had lost Gryffindor two hundred points. There were more boys like Kiba all over Hogwarts, most of which probably looked better then him anyways. Even in the orphanage Kiba had caught the younger girls stareing at him, even if they pretended he didn't exist most of the time.

In the end Kiba studied with the girls longer then he wanted to but left the library finally at lunchtime. But instead of heading for the great hall Kiba took a stroll outside the castle. He walked aimlessly along the paths avoiding anyone that crossed his path until he reached the Care of Magical Creatures Reservoir. He saw the gate had been left open a tiny bit as so he snuck inside. It was silent as far as anyone could hear. Most of creatures were asleep or playing quietly. Kiba could see a group of fairies flying in the crown of a tree, and a Kneazel sleeping with its young. 'Kiba! You came to visit' he heard barking from behind him. He averted his eyes from the sleeping wompus cat and turned to greet Lancelot.

"i said i would right" Kiba replied, he let the dog lick his hand before patting him.

'i thought you weren't allowed in here' Lancelot said

"that is true, and I'm in big trouble if I'm caught" Kiba replied

'then you should hide, someone is coming' and indeed Kiba now heard it to. The gate opened and closed in the distance, Kiba quickly dashed behind a tree and moved through the thicket as quietly as possible, in hopes of not being caught. He slipped past the disfigured and scarred teacher and began increasing his speed.

"back Lancelot, you shouldn't be out of your cage. How do you escape anyways?" he heard the man in the distance.

'Watch it!' Kiba froze in place when he heard a hiss in his closer proximity. His foot was still raised in the air and underneath lay a dark green looking Snake curled into a small circle.

"sorry, I'm not supposed to be here" Kiba replied. The Snake quickly uncurled and showed it's length. It rose it's head high into the air and stared at the boy

'a parselmouth?' it hissed quietly. Another snake slithered from the tree above Kiba onto his shoulder, Kiba jumped at the sudden cold contact but let the snake slither along his arm. Unlike the other it's skin had a light green, almost grass like colour.

'did i hear correctly?' it asked

'yes, it's a Parsel'

"Excuse me?" Kiba replied. The snake slithered off of his arm and landed next to the other

'but he's a Gryffindor' it said

'and? He speaks our language, it must be the heir' the other added. Pain struck Kiba's head as he was reminded of the nightmares he had, and the man that spoke to him. He ran, through the gate and out of the reservoir.

' _Slytherin's tongue_ ' the words echoed through his mind, had he really just spoken Parsel? Was he actually 'the heir'? but how could he speak a language he doesn't know. He stopped once he had reached a secluded room. It was a unused classroom, and the desks and chairs were stacked against the wall. He sat down on one of the steps that led from the window side into the classroom. ' _the heir_ ' he heard a faint whisper say. He clapped his hands onto his ears and shut his eyes tightly.

' _get out! Leave me ALONE!_ ' he shouted in his mind. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. It was quiet and calm, and Kiba remained still for a few minutes. He proceeded down to the great hall for dinner, since he had skipped lunch his stomach was now growling in the craving of some food. Kiba sat at the table though there was space between him and the other students. Only Hermione, Harry and Ron were seated fairly close to him. As Kiba was finishing his ice cream a Owl swooped past and dropped a letter. It did the same by Hermione and Harry and then circled from Neville to the Slytherin table and dropped the last envelope by Draco Malfoy. The letter was to remind them that they were serving detention near midnight that day, and that they would meet with Filch by the great hall, who would take them to Hagrid for their detention. Kiba could see that Neville hung his head low while Harry tugged the letter away in his pocket. Hermione left hers unopened and Draco crumpled his into a small ball and tossed it away but it flew right back into his lap. The Slytherin crossed his arms and looked meaner then ever. Kiba realized that he hadn't spoken to Draco for a while, and that any hope of friendship was probably gone. From Draco's view atleast. It was no secret that Harry add Draco didn't like each other, and since Kiba had befriended Harry, Draco probably felt equally about him ' _had i been in Slytherin… we would have been good friends_ ' Kiba thought.

 **A/n: So... School is starting again for me, which means less frequent updates. But that won't stop me from writing in my free time. I'm probably releasing the next chapter tomorrow, but Ch10 might take a while.** **Ps: Moe! NG is coming back baby! yeah I've been writing a bit on that when i ran out of ideas for this one.** **K that's all... Review! Peace!**


	9. Chapter 9: Parselmouthed

**A/n: i promised this chapter earlier but when i wanted to copy it over to i as hide they deleted the text as saved the file. so i had to retype it all... so you'll get this one now, and later today Chapter 10. I'll make sure to get it done today as a way to apologize i guess. *shrugs* Enjoy and review!**

Chapter 9: Parselmouthed

"Oi! Scamander!" It was near midnight when Filch led Draco, Neville, Harry, Hermione and Kiba outside the castle and towards Hagrid's hut. "You think I'm daft, eh? Get back with the others, and don't even try to escape" Filch spat, he pushed Kiba forward and pointed his lamp right into his face. "if it were up to me, then you'd be hanging by your ankles in my office" the door to Hagrid's hut opened and illuminated the surrounding garden and the nearby treeline of the forbidden forest. "and if you ever touch my cat again, I'll make you wish you were never born"

"tha's enough now, Filch" Hagrid said as he stepped out into the dark

"good night kids, watch out for the werewolves. They have an appetite for Troublemakers"

"alrigh', of yeh go now Argus. There's no need to made 'em scared" huffed Hagrid. Filch grinned and showed his nasty half rotten teeth and wandered off into the darkness. "follow me"

"he was joking, right? About the werewolves.." Draco asked with a hint of panic as Hagrid led them towards the treeline. "If you think I'm going in there, then… t-then I'll-"

"Then you'll do wha'?" Hagrid said harshly, stopping and turning to face the Slytherin "Cry ter' yer daddy? This is how 's done in Hogwarts. Suck it up, o' go home" Hagrid turned back to the forest and continued without another word. Draco looked as though he might cast a curse at the Half-Giant, or yell at him but he didn't. They reached a small puddle of some silvery substance, which Hagrid explained to be Unicorn Blood. "our goal is ter' find the unicorn, and bring it ter' me hut. However, wha' attacked it is possibly still ou' there, so be careful" Hagrid said. "seein' as we are six, we'll split inter three groups of two's."

Neville was paired with Hagrid and his cowardly hound Fang, which Neville was ecstatic about, and Draco was to go with Harry. Draco heavily protested and suggested going with Kiba but Hagrid didn't let up, and after some convincing the two Nemesis were stuck together. "Neville and I will be taken the left route," Hagrid said "'arry and Draco you go through the middle. Signal me if yeh find anathin'" the four began trotting into their given directions which left Hermione and Kiba to take the right route.

Kiba didn't know how to react. Being in such a close vicinity to Hermione made him happy an he had missed talking to her. Yet, it remained awkward for a long while. The crunching of the leaves ave the snapping of twigs underneath their steps seemed to grow louder by the second. Hermione was obviously happy to be next to Kiba again, but she didn't speak either. "eeeeek!" Hermione jumped and latched herself into Kiba's arm.

"wha? What is it Hermione?!" Kiba asked frantically

"nothing… i thought i saw something move" she said relaxing her grip on his arm "didn't mean to scare you"

"scare me..?" Kiba echoed, he swallowed hard and regained his composure "I'm not scared, you were" Hermione smiled at him "Hermione you can let go now, it's fine"

"you don't mind right?" she replied, Kiba slowly shook his head and the two began walking again, now much closer to one and other. They spotted another puddle of the silvery substance and decided to investigate. "do you think it's close?"

"might be… the puddle is quite large, it might have been attacked here" Kiba replied "here there's more" a series of smaller puddles and drops led further in to the thicket of the forbidden forest but Hermione wasn't moving, she had stopped and was stareing at the large silver puddle of Unicorn Blood. "oh man… i never should have left the Common room…"

"not like you do anyways.." Hermione sighed silently

"huh? is everything alright, Hermione?"

"oh yeah" she said hopping back to Kiba "I'm fine" But Kiba saw something, in her eyes as she passed him. He had interrupted a deep thought, he watched Hermione walk further away before going after her.

"are you sure you're fine?"

"of course"

"Hermione, are you mad at me?"

"Hermione?"

"yes, Kiba? What do you want?"

"are you mad at me?"

"Yes!" she hissed. She grabbed Kiba by his arm and stopped him underneath the arch of combining tree crowns, her hair seemingly reacted to her anger as it shook wildly "of course i am"

"is this really the time for this?" Kiba asked "i mean we are in the Forbidden Forest, searching for a Unicorn"

"well it wasn't me who shut himself off from everybody and it wasn't me who stopped talking when all of my friends were in trouble"

"it's not just that…" Kiba replied removing her hand from his arm

"then what is it, Kiba? we've known each other for close to a year now. can't you at least tell me… Something?!"

"I-I… can't." Kiba replied turning himself away "not, yet.. so don't get pushy with it" he said sternly. Kiba turned his head to face Hermione and he looked into her eyes forcibly. Even though his eyes seemed cold and empty at that moment, Hermione knew there was that hidden fire in there, somewhere. It was some type of sentience, an honestly scary one to be exact. Kiba sighed and softened his expression.

Hermione suddenly felt heat rush to her cheeks, as quickly turned away from the boy to hide her now pink cheeks. Luckily the darkness dulled her face enough to hide the colour, and gave off their impression that she was sad rather then embarrassed. The embarrassment that was het getting flustered by just looking at him. Hermione was hurt by Kiba not wanting to talk to her, but she decided to let him take his time as she continued on.

It didn't take long for Kiba to be back in closer vicinity to Hermione, so close in fact that he had no time to react when she suddenly stopped. Her breath hinched and grew louder. It took Kiba a few seconds to recognise why… a cloaked figure was slithering across the forest floor, and it hadn't spotted the young Gryffindors until Kiba stepped onto a branch. The Crack that emitted was loud enough that every creature in the forest could hear it. The figured whipped it's head and faced them, though it had no visible eyes Kiba knew it was stareing right at them, it's chapped lips curled upwards and a bit of silvery fluid dripped from them.

'That Boy… Leave the Boy, Kill the Mudblood!' the creature hissed as it began swiftly moving toward them. Hermione had already begun running and Kiba was close behind. 'Kill the Mudblood, Kill the Mudblood' the figure repeated. It wanted Hermione, but not Kiba. But why it was so hellbent on getting her, Kiba did not know. Hermione suddenly tripped and stumbled, Kiba reached her quickly but the figure was close, to close!

"Back! Get Back, I'm warning you!" Kiba shouted jumping inbetween them,

'Slytherin's tongue...' the creature snarled and paused. Kiba turned to get Hermione back onto her feet, but she crawled backwards and away from him. She looked at him as though he was a wild animal, a beast trying to eat her. That's when it hit him

' _did i just speak… Parsel? But… how?_ ' he thought. He shook his head and pulled Hermione to her feet and told her to keep running. Kiba was right behind her and retrieved his wand from behind his right ear. He tried to think of anything he could do. He could see the giant log of a fallen tree which Hermione had just climbed over. Kiba pointed his wand to the sky and released colourful sparks in the hope that Harry or Hagrid would see it. The log was fast approaching and Kiba prepared himself, and jumped over it with a well timed leap. He flicked his wand at the log and spoke " _Wingardium Leviosa_ "

The log rose of the ground as Kiba continued running, but it didn't stop the creature as Kiba had hoped. Instead, the figure seemingly flew over it without trouble. "Kiba!" he heard Hermione shout loudly as his foot got caught on a giant root. Kiba tumbled and fell hitting the ground with the right side of his face and rolling at least 5 times. The noise around Kiba drowned out and all he heard was a loud ringing, he shook his head and got onto all fours but he fell to his right and layed down on his back.

' _is this it? Is this how i die?_ ' Kiba thought ' _it'll surely get me now_ ' even though he mostly hard ringing he heard the cloaked figure as it bent over him.

'Pure Blood… Fresh Blood… Our Blood' it hissed silently, unicorn blood was still dropping from the corner off it's chapped lips and onto Kiba's robes.

"AAAAAARGGHH!" thunderous roar could suddenly be heard as Hagrid ran at the figure, stomping with his massive boots. The figure hissed once more and then quickly disappeared into the thicket. "Kiba! Kiba? Can yer hear me? C'mon talk ter me!" Harry, Draco and Neville now caught up to Hagrid and all looked shaken from head to toe. Harry had his hand placed firmly on his forehead, and a pained expression overtook his face.

"What… was that?" Kiba asked finally

"no matter wha' tha' was, 's gone now" Hagrid assured the boy "yeh fell an' got a nasty cut. 'arry, Neville. 'elp me will yeh?" Harry and Neville quickly helped Hagrid get Kiba to his feet, his head hung low and he could barely stand. Hermione was still in a state of complete shock but followed closer begins them. Draco was left in the back, he spotted Kiba's wand add picked it up.

Hagrid escorted them all to Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse. Madam Pomfrey was, like Lucy Crawford, a Kind, Loving and generous person at heart. But she knew to be strict when required. She tried to heal the cut that went from the boys right cheek along his ear to his forehead, luckily just past his Eye. She bandaged the wound so it could heal over night and sent the five children to their dorms.

"Here, Kiba. Your wand" Draco said before their ways parted. Kiba had one of his arms over Harry's shoulders as accepted his wand and silently thanked the Slytherin. Harry immediately sat Kiba down on the couch, and then ran up the speak staircase. Hermione sat down in an armchair which was by Kiba's side.

"you okay?" Kiba asked softly, Hermione smiled weakly and looked at the boy

"shouldn't i be asking you?"

"heh. Maybe.." Kiba chuckled "i feel fine"

"bloody hell!" Ron said as he sat down beside Kiba and saw his bandages "what happened?!"

"Kiba and I, both had an encounter," Harry began "Separately. With a cloaked and hooded figure… a Centaur saved me"

"but why was it killing the unicorns?" Hermione asked

"Unicorns have very powerful, lifesaving blood. However to kill a creature as pure as a Unicorn is a sin, and as soon as it's blood touches your lips you live a so named; Half-life… a Cursed life" Kiba explained

"it's Voldemort. he's surviving off of Unicorn Blood, ever since he killed my parents" Harry stated "it's obvious now. Snape doesn't want the stone, Voldemort wants it!"

"don't say his name" Ron whispered, as though the dark wizard could hear them.

"if Snape gets it and takes it to him, then he could come back. Voldemort would come back. And i think he would come for me… Voldemort is going to kill me"

"Stop saying his name!" Ron hissed,

"i think it's wrong to keep thinking on it. Dumbledore his here, and he will protect the school. You-Know-Who always feared Dumbledore" Hermione Said "Besides, finals are coming and you two seriously need to study"

"I'm ready! Ask me any question" Ron challenged Hermione

"alright, what are the three most crucial ingredients to a forgetfulness potion?"

"i forgot" Ron complained.

"what are you all doing out of bed?" a voice suddenly came from the ddarknes, "go now, back into your beds" it was Percy Weasley, the proud Prefect of Gryffindor. His polished and shiny plaque with the Crimson and gold colours reflected even the small fire, that was steadily fading in the fireplace, perfectly.

The four children nodded and headed to bed. Ron and Harry carefully helped Kiba up the stairs and into his bed, but sleep didn't cone as fast to him as the others. 'Slytherin's tongue… My Blood' he couldn't get that heinous voice out of his head, and the figure kept appearing in his mind. He felt Hotaru snuggle into his chin in an attempt to comfort the boy, and Kiba finally did fall asleep.

Hermione had never been those right before, the finals were coming up, and studying all the topics was hard. At least it kept their minds away from Voldemort and the forbidden forest, and on their studies. The practical exams went by smoothly for Hermione, Harry and Kiba, but Ron had trouble in Transfigureation. The written exams were harder to get through, especially their last one in History of Magic. Kiba saw the cloaked figure every he mentioned a dark Wizard or a war. And Harry's scar was hurting like never before.

"Sweet, sweet release" Ron said as he flopped backwards onto the grass by the lake "and in just a week we'll have or results and be on our way home"

"Harry you should check with Madam Pomfrey" Hermione suggested. Harry had his hand firmly pressed to his scar, but shook his head.

"it's been hurting ever since the forest, and the encounter" Harry replied "we never should have gone in there"

"yeah, but we had to serve detention" Kiba said as he laid down too, his wound had completely healed but Kiba still felt like it was there. "just 'couse of a dragon" he added

"Dragon…" Harry suddenly stood us turned to look at the castle "Dragon!"

"what is it Harry?" Hermione asked

"isn't it weird? What did Hagrid want most?"

"A Dragon" Kiba replied sitting upright

"yeah… and some stranger in a pub just happens to have one" Harry said

"No. You don't think –" Kiba said standing up and facing Harry

"we can't be sure, Dumbledore has to be warned"

"I'll go" Kiba replied

"we're going to Hagrid's" Harry said. Together with Hermione and Ron he ran, straight for Hagrids hut. Meanwhile, Kiba ran back into the castle and headed for Dumbledore's office. He spoke the password and let himself in,

"Professor! Professor!" Kiba shouted barging into the office. He paused and tried to catch his breath. Not realizing he had actually run in on a conversation between Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"Good day, Mr. Scamander" Dumbledore said calmly "what brings you inside on a day like this?"

"The Philosophers stone" Kiba said. McGonagall's facial expression quickly grew shocked but Dumbledore didn't even flinch. "Professor Snape is going to steal it!"

"Minerva, i think the children outside might need some supervision" Dumbledore said. Professor McGonagall nodded and with another look at Kiba left the office.

"didn't you hear me, Professor?" Kiba semi-yelled in frustration "You-Know-Who is in the forbidden forest, and Snape is stealing the stone for him"

"i don't know how you found out about the Stone, but your claims are very serious. Accusing a Hogwarts Professor…" Dumbledore said. He rose from his seat and walked around his desk "i assure you, dear boy. The Stone is perfectly Safe, and protected"

"but, Professor-"

"Ah ah. I have no time to Dilly-Dally, Hogwarts business" he reached for a letter from his desk which was marked with the symbol of the Ministry of Magic and faced Kiba once more "Curiosity is not a sin, Kiba. But we should exercise caution with our Curiosity" he winked, and then disappeared without a trace.

" _always speaking in riddles…_ " Kiba thought, he quickly left the office and headed for the common room. Harry, Ron and Hermione were already inside and told him what they found out. "Dumbledore left, he got a letter from the ministry"

"Snape's making his move" Harry muttered "it's up to us now, we're going through the trap door. Tonight"

...


	10. Chapter 10: The Shocking Truth

**A/n: So here is 10. This was made during 6 consecutive free school periods so... yeah. this is the longest chapter i think I've written. it takes the entire Stone chase scene. so chapter 11 will be the end of the school year.** **Enjoy and Review**

Chapter 10: The Shocking Truth

Midnight came and the four Gryffindors met in the common room. They nodded to each other and prepared to leave through the painting but someone suddenly stood on their way. Neville stupid up from the arm chair in his blue pyjamas. "you're doing it again, aren't you?" as frightened as he looked he stood between them and their way out of the common room.

"erm, No, Neville. don't worry" Ron lied, But Neville wasn't thick. He knew they were Lying.

"yes you are. You're leaving" he said

"Neville… how about you go back to bed, it's getting late, yeah?" Hermione said in an attempt to convince the boy to let them through.

"That's why you can't leave. You'll lose Gryffindor even more points"

"Neville…" Kiba sighed trying to calm the boy

"i can't let you,"

"Neville…"

"I won't let you!"

"NEVILLE!" Kiba shouted as he whipped out his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the boy. The shout was loud enough to possibly wake the entire house but Kiba didn't care. They were wasting precious time, time they couldn't afford to waste like this. "don't make me do this…"

"I'm not scared of you, Kiba" Neville stammered, he raised his fists and tried to suppress any fear he had "I'll… I'll fight y-you!" Kiba was prepared to hex the boy, and was just about to when Hermione swung her wand beside him

"Petrificus Totalus!" she spoke. Neville's entire body tensed up and he stood straight as a pole before falling like one. He didn't move an inch, nor did he blink. Kiba placed his wand behind his ear and watched as Hermione stuffed hers back into her pocket. She began walking and then stopped as turned to the three boys that stared at her, "What?" she said "we can't waste more time. Come on!" Harry quickly covered them all with the cloak and they left the common room.

Walking slowly, so none of them would leave the cloak's cover, and staying ducked so their feet weren't visable, they made their way to the third floor. They slowly approached the locked door behind which the three headed beast waited. "Alohomora" Hermione said pointing her wand at the lock. It clicked and the door swung open, they inched inside slowly and closed the door behind them. "it's asleep"

They threw the cloak off and gawked at the massive creature. They spotted a self playing harp in the corner of the room, which strummed a lovable lullaby. "oh no…" Ron said "look" he pointed at one of the massive paws which rested on the ground, right on the trap door.

"we'll have to move it" Harry said "together" the four grabbed on to the gigantic paw and lifted it off of the trapdoor. Unlike the door, it was unlocked. Harry swung it open and looked down into the dark. "i can't see a thing down there"

"I'll go first," Kiba suggested "I'll tell you if it's safe"

"No. You can't just –" Hermione paused, she frowned and looked confused "is it suddenly much quieter?" she asked

"your right," Ron said "Fluffy stopped snoring… Fluffy stopped snoring!" they all looked behind them, a massive growl emitted from the dogs throats.

'Intruders!' it barked 'What are you doing in here?!'

"jump!" Harry yelled as dropped down into the dark. Kiba followed without another thought as did Hermione after him. Ron flinched, and couldn't get himself to jump but he ended up falling just evading the massive fangs of the middle head.

"Harry what is this?" Ron asked frantically when he landed on the semi soft vines that covered they ground.

"i don't know" Harry replied

"Hermione what is this?!" he asked more frantically when the vines suddenly moved around him and began tieing him down.

"it's Devil's Snare, don't struggle" she replied, she had almost been fully encased in the black vines "it'll only kill you faster of you keep moving"

"kill me faster?! Now i can relax!" Ron shouted, he began throwing his arms about, and tried to wriggle out of the grasp of the devilish plant.

"Ron relax, it'll be fine!" he heard Kiba say from beneath him. And before Ron knew it Hermione disappeared below the vines as well, and shortly after Harry. "Harry! Hermione!" he called after them

"we're fine, Ron. Just calm down" he heard Harry call up to him.

"he's not relaxing" Kiba said "is there a counter for Devil's Snare?" Hermione tapped her foot on the ground and closed her eyes, trying to look for a counter.

"Light!" she said "It hates sunlight" Hermione whipped out her wand and Kiba picked up his from the ground since it had dropped from his ear when they jumped down, they pointed it at the vines and spoke in unison.

" _Lumos Solem_ " The light that emitted from their wand was bright, so bright that Harry didn't dare look directly at it. The vines that were struck by the light retracted and dropped Ron. He fell right through the open space that had formed. Hermione and Kiba lowered their wands as shared a sigh of relief when Ron got up, and assured them that he was fine.

Harry led the way to as they walked through a tight corridor. The water that dripped from the ceiling echoed loudly, and the four children shuddered in the cold. But not for long, they pushed open a giant wooden door and were presented a bright room full of small birds with snowy wings fluttering about. Unlike the corridor behind them it was slightly warm. They crossed the room to the door that stood opposite, half expecting the birds to attack. But they didn't.

They pushed as pulled on the door, they tried unlocking it, exploding it and burning it but it didn't budge, not even an inch. Kiba and Hermione agreed to keep trying while Harry and Ron would search for a key.

"Look, they're keys!" Ron suddenly yelled, it had take a while but they finally realized that there were no birds. They were keys with wings.

"i found a broomstick" Harry exclaimed, "which key did you think it is?"

"it's an old lock, should be a big, rustic key" Kiba called back. Harry squinted as he looked up, he could barely see the roof but spotted a key with a broken wing. He kicked off the ground and flew straight for it. Now however, they other keys reacted. They swarmed around Harry and chased him as he twisted and twirled with his hand outstretched. With another quick twist he grabbed the key and returned to the ground. The others applauded when he did and quickly put the key in the lock, twisted it and pushed the door open.

The room they entered was covered in statues. Either broken pieces or compete ones on a black and white flooring. A single hole in the roof illuminated it all for them. "guys, i think this is a chessboard" Ron said stepping over to a big black statue that stood by them. It moved and Ron scratched his head. He returned to the others and frowned "we have to play our way across. Giant Wizards Chess"

Ron was gifted at chess, but this was giant and there were pieces missing. "we will have to replace some of the pieces" Ron said "Harry, you'll be the right hand bishop and Hermione you'll be the tower on the far left" the two nodded and took their positions. "Kiba you'll be the king, make sure you tell me if someone is checking you. As for myself, I'll be a knight" Ron climbed onto the black horse and a white pawn moved.

Ron was in his element. The black pieces were completely under his control, and all the while he was keeping Hermione, Kiba and Harry safe from harm. Kiba had a bleeding wound on his arm from a piece of rubble that hit him when the white Queen viciously destroyed a black pawn. Everything seemed to be going well until Ron got stuck, even chess newbies could see he wasn't far from checking the King indefinitely but he frowned and then gulped. "i have to let her take me…" he said

"No!" Hermione and Harry shouted,

"it's the only way!"

"think of something else!" Kiba yelled

"if i let her take me, then Harry can take her and checkmate the King" Ron explained. He told the horse to move and it obeyed, "don't interfere!" Ron yelled when Kiba retrieved his wand from behind his ear. "if you attack, it's automatic forfeit" The Horse came to a stop and the Merciless White Queen didn't hesitate, it moved towards Ron and swung her blade. The Horse blew to pieces and Ron slid across the floor, the Queen picked him up and hurdled him across the room to the broken black pieces.

"Ron!" Hermione cried out. She wanted to run to him but stopped on Harry's command, they were after all still paying. Harry moved towards the Queen who reluctantly left the board and watched from the sidelines.

"Checkmate!" Harry said which caused all the remaining white figures to drop their swords. In addition the King removed his crown and dropped it. Game over. The door clicked and opened behind the white pieces but Hermione ran straight for Ron, as did Harry. Kiba stepped towards the white pieces which all hung their heads low, he pointed his wand at the White Queen. He wanted to Hex her, hurt her. He wanted her to pay for what she did to Ron… but no appropriate spell came to his mind. He lowered his wand and clenched his fists in frustration…

"AAAARRGGGGHHH!" he flourished his wand at the Queen with a massive roar of frustration and anger. In that same moment the Queen blew into a million pieces which bolted across the room hurting or even destroying other chess pieces. Hermione and Harry's eyes widened at the sudden noise, and realized who had caused it. Kiba could only stare at his outstretched hand which held his wand, and the power that he had just witnessed… his power. Hermione suddenly grabbed his hand and slowly moved him away from the pieces and into the next room. Which also posed the next potentially life threatening obstacle.. a table full of differently shaped glasses which held varied substances.

Harry approached the door and opened it while Hermione and Kiba checked the vials "Guys, the door is – WOAH!" Harry entered the next room as as soon as he tried to turn back a Huge black fire engulfed the door. Harry stumbled backwards, suddenly cut off from the others.

"Harry! Are you okay?" Kiba yelled through the Black fire

"I'm fine," Harry replied, he turned and saw a long staircase leading further down underground. "there's something down there…"

"wait there, we'll find a way to get through!" Hermione yelled "there should be a Black Fire Potion among these…"

"i can tell you, it's not this one" Kiba said pointing at a tall slender glass filled with a green and black substance "this is the death potion…"

Hermione walked from vial to vial, checking out each glass and the substance therein. "it has to be this one, if we take the volume of each glass and compare them they are all similarly full… except this one. This one is atleast missing a healthy chug" she said

"Great," Kiba said snatching the glass,

"Wait!" Hermione yelled trying to stop him but it was to late, the glass had reached Kiba's lips add he took a big sip.

"you should never second guess, i trust your first intuition" Kiba said.

'at least he didn't fall straight to the floor and die..' Hermione thought. She crossed her fingers and Kiba approached the fire, he stretched out his left have touched it. He smiled add walked through it without as much as a scratch,

"Hermione, get back to Ron. take him to the hospital wing, and keep an eye out for Dumbledore. Tell him... everything" Kiba called through the fire.

"Okay," Hermione replied "be careful…" Hermione sighed and returned to Ron, who was now awake and still breathing. Kiba ran down the stairs, as quickly as he could. He reached Harry's side in the seemingly last room, it looked allot like a classroom with another set of stairs leading a little further down into it. In the middle of the room stood a Mirror, and a man. It was the turban wearing, babbling idiot Quirrell, only he wasn't babbling, or stuttering.. his expression was stern as he faced them.

"you kids," he muttered "always bringing friends!" Kiba reached for his wand but before he knew it he was dragged down to the ground by the weight of heavy metal chains.

"Kiba! Let him go!" Harry shouted as her tried to pull the chains off of Kiba "why are you doing this?"

"you see Potter, you were never in danger from Severus. In fact, i would have succeeded in killing you had he not protected you" Quirrell hissed

"so you jinxed my broom?" Harry asked narrowing his eyes

"ahhhh, right you are, Potter!" Quirrel smirked "and i would have succeeded had it not been for Snape muttering his counter curse. Or your Mudblood friend setting his robes on fire"

Kiba listened but was struggling to fight the chains, they were fighting around his neck and were sure to crush his bones at any moment. "the final barrier, add they say, is always the trickiest…" Quirrell muttered "but when we figure it out, and when we are finished. That fool Dumbledore won't have a clue, we won't leave a trace"

"we..?" Kiba said under his breath add he tried to straighten his body out, which proved difficult. Quirrel turned back to the refined mirror in its folder framing and looked at the chained boy through the reflection.

"yes, you see, young Scamander. My Master and I are one, he's always been at my side, and i will not fail him" Quirrell said

"you will, because you're a weakling, you dang prick" Kiba muttered. The chains tightened around his body further and he grunted in pain, Quirrell looked at him over his shoulder and smiled.

"stop playing and get the stone!" a voice hissed from seemingly nowhere and Quirrell's smile disappeared.

"Y-Yes my Lord" Quirrell stammered and turned back to the mirror. Harry was still desperately trying to remove the chains from Kiba but to no avail, the wouldn't budge, no matter what. Kiba gasped for air as the chains pressed down on his chest and throat. "Potter!" Quirrel shouted with an extended have towards Harry "Come here!"

"he's dieing.. Let him go!" Harry yelled back

"come here! Or I'll kill him now"

"let the boy go!" the unrecognizable voice hissed again, Quirrell frowned but obeyed. With a swift hand motion the chains released Kiba and he coughed and spluttered over the stone floor as he gasped for air. Harry wanted to run over to him, but his feet directed him elsewhere. Quirrell forced Harry in front of the mirror, Kiba was on the edge atop the stairs looking at the backs of their heads as he clung on to consciousness. He saw his wand on the stairs just two arm lengths away.

"look, Potter. Look!" Quirrell said stepping aside "what do you see Potter?" Kiba slowly and quietly crawled towards his wand in an attempt to attack Quirrell but the chilling voice returned.

"the boy's wand. Quirrell!" it hissed hastily,

"yes, master" he turned and snapped his fingers. Kiba made a lounge forward and almost had his wand butt it moved and flew right into Quirrells hand, Kiba tumbled down the remaining few stairs and landed on his back. Her turned over and got onto all fours and coughed up some blood.

"you fool!" Quirrel grabbed his hand with both hands as the voice spoke again "i told you not to harm the boy!" Quirrell let out a ear piercing scream and then turned to Harry again once he had regained his composure. Kiba slowly and steadily got to his feet and leaned against a nearby pillar for support. He cursed under his breath and slowly made his way to Harry, who stood silently stareing into the mirror.

"Scamander, what do you see? Tell me!" Quirrell whispered into his ear. Kiba looked into the exceptionally clean mirror and saw, himself. And he saw Harry, and Quirrell behind them. How was a plain mirror the last barrier? He looked up and read the inscription on the Mirrors frame.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" he muttered "the Mirror of Erised…"

"yes, now what do you see?" Quirrel whispered as he placed his hands on Kiba's shoulders. Kiba looked back into the mirror and saw Harry's reflection, smiling and Dancing, and his reflection soon joined in.

' _how is this..? Harry is still next to me…'_

He saw Harry take something out of his pocket and tossed it to Kiba, it was a red stone. Kiba had a hunch at what kind of stone it was. "Tell me Boy!"

"I-I…" Kiba stammered, sounding like Quirrell used. He had to think of something fast, it didn't look like Harry was going to say anything soon. "I'm a Hogwarts Professor. I'm taking up the post of Headmaster and Dumbledore is shaking me hand and giving me his blessing. And.." Kiba said

"Yes, and?" Quirrell pushed

"I'm a War Hero" Kiba added. Quirrell looked at him suspiciously. Meanwhile, their reflections had stopped dancing and throwing the stone. Instead it was in Harry's hand, and he placed it in his pocket. Kiba looked at Harry's pockets and saw a small bulge in his right pocket. Did Harry have the Stone?

"Use Potter!" the voice hissed, Kiba now realized it came from Quirrell and not from behind the Mirror as he had suspected.

"Potter! What do you see?" Quirrell asked moving his hands to Harry's shoulders.

"I've won the Quidditch Cup… I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore, he's awarding Gryffindor the house cup" Harry replied, but Kiba saw him feeling his pocket. He was sure they had seen the same thing.

"He lies!" the voice hissed violently "let me speak to them, face to face"

"But, Master! You are still weak! I'll find the Stone soon enough, please!"

"Release me, Quirrell!"

Kiba's stomach was lurching violently inside of him. It was like it had been sliced and its acid had spilt all over inside. He felt deathly nauseous as he saw Quirrell unwind his turban through the mirror. Harry had moved further away but he looked just as shocked. Maybe even more. Quirrell unwrapped and pulled, gradually removing his headwear. The Professor's turban fell to the ground and showed what it had been hiding for all this time, and it was horrifying. Through the mirror, Kiba could see a face on the back of Quirrell's bald head. A horrid face. A vile, disgusting, loathsome face. It was the stuff of nightmares. It had a chalky-white tone, with worn out skin. Its eyes red with serpentine slits inside of them. And the most distinguishing feature that this face did not have was a nose. Instead, it had small slits, like a Snake.

"How good to see you again," the face spoke "Harry Potter!" it said Harry's name with disgust on a level that Kiba had never seen. "and how good to finally meet you properly, Kiba Scamander"

"You…" Harry whispered

"Yes, Harry. Here i am, and look what you did to me. All those years ago" the pale face spoke "you left me scared, and deformed. I had to live off of others for ten years" Harry was motionless and then the head turned to Kiba whi was trying to walk away slowly. "don't try to run from me, Kiba. Come here, now…"

Kiba could feel his blood freeze inside his veins, and he slowly turned back to the face. His eyes twitched as he looked directly into the red Snakelike eyes of His. He could feel his soul being tarnished, twisted and turned at mere eye contact.

"do you know who i am?"

"You're… Voldemort" Kiba replied looking down at his feet.

"Hah. I knew the old fool could never rid the world of my name. Wizards should tremble at its mere mention.. but you. You are different, aren't you Kiba?" Voldemort said "you are stronger, better.. purer then the others"

"i know that"

"of course you so!" Voldemort smiled with his lipless mouth and revealed his ugly, yellow teeth "Do you know what blood pulses through your vein? Do you even understand what it means for you? Join me, and i can reveal to you, what your destiny is. I can show you power, power which is rightfully yours!" Kiba's eyes widened. The most dangerous dark wizard was recruiting him, and he knows who he is.

"Why?"

"how very like you… your mother asked the same before she joined me and my cause" Voldemort replied "i know who you are, and what you desire most… and i can give you everything" Kiba looked up at Voldemort's heinous face "all you have to do, it's bring me the stone" Kiba took a few steps towards Quirrell and Voldemort, who chuckled slightly. "Quirrell, his wand"

Quirrell reluctantly gave Kiba his wand add he took it. He turned and pointed it at Harry. "Harry, the stone" he said as he approached him.

"Kiba… no…" Harry whispered. Had Kiba just betrayed him? And Hermione? And Dumbledore too?

"the stone!" Kiba said more forcibly. Harry reached into his pocket and retrieved the stone. "The key to immortality…" Kiba whispered, placing his hand on the stone. He looked into Harry's eyes.

"Yes, Kiba. Bring it to me!" Voldemort hissed. Kiba turned his head towards him and frowned.

" **No**."

" _Alarte Acendare_ " with a quick flick of his wand Kiba sent Quirrell flying high up until he hit the ceiling, after which he dropped back down. Kiba and Harry tried to run but something pulled Kiba back. He flew right into Quirrells grasp, who held him by his throat.

"LEAVE HIM, HE'S IMPORTANT. JUST GET THE STONE!" Voldemort shouted, Quirrell tossed Kiba behind him and sent him crashing through the mirror, resulting in several cuts on Kiba's body. He was dazed as struggled to stand back up as pieces of shattered mirror glass pierced into his hands and knees. He heard Harry scream and saw Quirrell on top of him, Kiba walked towards them unsteadily and then heard Quirrell scream in agony. Kiba stopped and leaned against a pillar for support and aimed his wand. But he was unable to focus, he watched as Quirrell's hand began dissolving. "THE STONE!"

Harry lunged forward and pressed his hands against Quirrell's face, he screamed and struggled to break free. He used his still dissolving right hand to push Harry away, which serve Harry flying into a nearby pillar. He flopped to the ground and remained motionless and the stone dropped beside him. Kiba almost puked when he looked back at Quirrell, his eye had popped out of its socket and the skin was peeling off of his cheek bones. Kiba raised his wand once more and uttered the first spell that came to his mind.

" _EXPULSO!_ " next that Kiba knew, Quirrell's entire body was annihilated, sending dust everywhere. His robes fell to the ground and released more dust which was trapped inside. Kiba was still shaky and his knees buckled which send him down into them. Kiba couldn't believe what he had done, he had become a Murderer. He took his wand and he killed Quirrell with it…

It suddenly felt hard to breathe, Kiba chest tightened add his head felt heavy.He dropped to his palms as grunted in pain, he felt something.. in his stomach. He grunted once more and his breath grew heavily he placed his left hand on his stomach but it didn't help. He fell to the side add rolled into his back, clutching his stomach tightly with both hands. Something was ripping inside him. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, he tried not to think about the murder but it didn't help. The Pain didn't stop, and the tearing continued. He didn't mean to kill him, but he had to protect Harry, and the stone. Kiba could suddenly feel his consciousness slipping ' _I'm so sorry…_ ' the pain had begun numbing but Kiba couldn't move anymore. The faces and names of his friends flashed through his minds. He realized that Faye would never know how, or why he died. He would never see Hermione again, "I'm sorry," and how he never properly apologized to them for the things he had done. "Hermione… -" His consciousness faded and the ruins ceiling turned black as his eyes fell shut… ' _is this… my end?_ '

' _Fresh blood… Pure blood..._ '

' _My…_ _Blood'_


	11. Chapter 11: Innocence

Chapter 11: Innocence

Kiba's eyes slowly fluttered open and he stared at the raised roof. His body was still, like it had been before, but the room was warm. Kiba could still feel the tearing pain in his stomach but it was much less, and his chest felt like it was still bound in heavy chains. Kiba moved his head slightly and realized that her wad lieing in a bed, a hospital bed. He slowly raised his hands and saw them bound in bandages, as was his torso. He grunted as he tried to sit upright but fell back down with pain shooting through his body.

"Kiba!" he heard someone yelp "you're awake" he moved his head and looked to his right. Two beds away from him sat Harry with Ron by his side, he too looked at Kiba and Hermione walked over to him. "you okay?" she asked with a smile

"heh." Kiba chuckled, the way she said it sounded like an imitation of him "could be better, but I'm fine" he tried to sit upright once more and managed to lean against the backboard of the bed with Hermione's help. "how long-"

"near five days, mate" Ron said from across the room. "today is the house cup ceremony" Ron had a bandage around his head but was happy, it seemed like he had come out allot better then Kiba. Ron and Harry cane over to his bed "So. What happened after Harry fainted?"

"I'm not sure exactly…" Kiba replied "Quirrell like, crumbled to dust, and then i.. fell" He clenched his stomach at the mention of Quirrell's Death, the death he had caused.

"Ah, Mr. Scamander" Madam Pomfrey said as she entered the room "you're free to go Potter" she walked over to Kiba and motioned for Hermione and Ron to go. Hermione smiled weakly at Kiba as she left the hospital wing to help Harry bring his sweets to his room. "how are you feeling dear?"

"allot better then i remember" Kiba replied "though my chest hurts still"

"ah yes, your chest might take a little while. Just be careful and try not to put too much pressure on it" Madam Pomfrey explained "Your cuts should have healed by now. Let's have a look" Madam Pomfrey carefully removed the bandages from Kiba's arms.

"it looks just as ever" Kiba said. There were no scars, no wounds. Only the knowledge that they had been there, just like the one Kiba had on his face.

"alright then, do you feel strong enough to walk?" Kiba nodded slowly and sat himself on the edge of the bed. He carefully stood up, wobbelled a bit, and then stood straight. He took a few steps and it worked surprisingly well. "Here," Madam Pomfrey handed Kiba a bag which contained lots of sweets, less then Harry's though "you should get to the feast, but take your time" Kiba took the bag and slowly made his way to the common room, and up into his dorm.

'Kiba!' As soon as he opened the door the small dragon flew right to him 'what happened? Are you hurt?'

"Careful, Hotaru" Kiba said letting the dragon land on his shoulder "the chest is still hurting" he rubbed her chin with his finger and dropped the bag onto his bed "it was Quirrell all along Hotaru" Kiba sighed "our blind hatred for Snape made us overlook him"

'what do you mean?' Hotaru replied jumping down onto the bed 'Snape tried to kill Harry'

"no, it was Quirrell who jinxed the broom. You see, Snape was using a counter curse to protect Harry" Kiba explained "and Voldemort… he was under the turban, all this time"

'and what happened to Quirrell?'

"he's dead…" Kiba dropped his head into one hand and placed the other on his stomach "I-I… I Killed him" Hotaru didn't reply, instead she placed her head on Kiba's leg and closed her eyes. They stayed like that for a while until Kiba put on his robes and headed for the great hall. He opened the door and saw Slytherin cheering loudly, Dumbledore paused his speech and waited for Kiba to get seated.

"Yes, congratulations Slytherin. However, recent events have to be taken into account. I have a few last minute points to give" the old wizard spoke stroking his long silver beard "To Mister Ronald Weasley, For excellent use of knowledge and strategy in the game of chess and his willingness to sacrifice himself for his friends. Fourty Points" Gryffindor was unable to hide their excitement, they might still be last but there was something to be proud of. Ron grew red as a tomato and was unable to close his mouth.

"To Miss Hermione Granger, for utilizing her knowledge of various subjects in the face of danger, to ensure success. Fourty Points" Hermione covered her face with her hands as Gryffindor cheered even louder, they had overtaken Huffelpuff and Dumbledore wasn't done.

"To Mister Harry Potter, for showing great loyalty to Hogwarts and his friends in the face of death, and for outstanding Courage and Bravery. Sixty Points" Harry gasped in awe, and all the Gryffindors were practically dancing now. Second place and not far from Slytherin.

Kiba was smiling brightly, at least they made second. Dumbledore couldn't possibly have more points to give. and honestly Kiba didn't feel like he deserved any at all "but it wasn't only Harry who showed great courage and Bravery." Dumbledore said adjusting his glasses "To Mister Kiba Scamander, for Bravery and Courage, for not yielding to the dark forces even when it threatened his life. And for unimaginable resiliency, standing back up to face the danger and to protect his friends. Fifty Points" Kiba barely reacted when Dumbledore said this. All this praise, and he had killed a man… a Professor...

' _i don't deserve this_ ' Gryffindor was losing it and Slytherin grew more annoyed by the second. They had tied with Slytherin, was this going to be the first shared House cup in History?

"it takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies.. but an even greater deal of courage to stand up to your friends. Therefore, i award twenty points… to Mister Neville Longbottom" Neville first grew pale as everyone congratulated him and then he turned red from embarrassment. "if my calculations are correct then i think a change of decoration is in order" He clapped his hands and the Green and Silver decorations hanging from the ceiling turned Crimson and Gold. "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!" Snape reluctantly shook McGonagall's hand and she was handed the House cup. The Gryffindor all took their hats and threw then high into the air, the same couldn't be said for the Slytherin's they were annoyed and felt cheated, but who would dare complain about Dumbledore's decisions. Though Kiba had been sleeping for four and a half days, he didn't feel hungry at all and thus barely ate anything grin the feast.

By the end of that day, everyone forgot about finals results, or that tomorrow they would be on the train home. Everyone received an envelope during breakfast, and some were shocked to the ground. Hermione had finished top of the year, closely followed by Kiba since her Herbology had been better then his. Despite being bested, Kiba congratulated her and she thanked him. Kiba had expected her to be cocky about it but she was a good sport after all. Harry and Ron had reached good grades with the help of their friends and Neville managed to save his grades with an Outstanding mark in Herbology. Kiba had gathered his courage to attempt and make a new friend. Kiba expected the boy to shun, or curse him when he asked him if he had gotten good grades. But Draco replied without a hint of detest or hatred in his voice, maybe there was a chance at friendship with the Slytherin after all…

As Kiba was packing his trunk and then McGonagall suddenly entered the boys dorm. "Hello, Professor" Kiba said kindly as he placed his books inside the enchanted trunk.

"it is, without a doubt, a strange way to end your first year at Hogwarts this way" McGonagall spoke softly,

"we did what we had to, and it turned out quite well" Kiba replied closing the trunk

"well, yes." The old witch sighed "Dumbledore requested to see you before you leave"

"Thank you, Professor" Kiba said picking up his bag and hanging it over his shoulder "have a nice Summer Professor" Kiba smiled weakly and left the dormitory. McGonagall watched him with a worried expression.

To Kiba's surprise, the Staircase was already out from the ground and let him ascend them. He knocked on the door as heard Dumbledore speak, "Come in, Kiba" Kiba pushed the door open and entered the office, where Dumbledore stood by the table in the first section of the office. "the year comes and goes.. less then a year ago you didn't even know magic existed, and now here you stand having defeated the darkest wizard"

"you called for me?"

"Yes. Please take a seat. " he guided Kiba to his desk and he sat down in one of the chairs. "this has been, a difficult year for you.. and i didn't expect it to end like this"

"with all due respect, sir. We nearly died" Kiba said "Quirrell.." Kiba choked was unable to say it, he felt his heart being corrupted as darkness was flowing into his mind. He felt the pain in his stomach return and rubbed his chest uncomfortably. Dumbledore noticed this and took off his glasses.

"We all do things we deeply regret, Kiba. Sooner or later we must all face it" Dumbledore said

"I-I didn't mean to…" Kiba said silently "I… something took hold of me, and told me that he deserves it" Kiba could feel the tears that had threatened to fall, finally roll down his cheeks as they dripped from his chin. He closed his eyes and tried his best to stop. "He was bound to Voldemort, a-and he asked me to J-Join him… i wanted to protect Harry, and the stone… but he was with Voldemort… H-He did deserve it…"

"Many that live deserve death. And Many that die deserve life. But can you give it to them, Kiba?" Dumbledore spoke as he stood from his chair and came to Kiba's side of the desk "Then do not be to eager to deal out death in judgement next time. For even the very wise, don't always see all ends"

"…does that mean I'm just as bad as him?"

"No! Dear boy, No…" Dumbledore said placing his hand on Kiba's knee. "You are far more powerful, and far more wise then he could EVER wish to be"

"yeah right… a First year as wise as a powerful dark Wizard"

"i don't mean wiseness of the mind, i mean wiseness of the heart" Dumbledore said, gently placing his palm on Kiba's chest "you know the importance of Friendship and Love…"

"Will you tell anybody?" Kiba asked

"Professor McGonagall, as your Head of House, has been informed incase you need someone to talk to about it, but other than that no soul will ever know"

"Thank you Professor," Kiba said. He stood up from his seat "i should get down, or the boats will –"

"they're already at the station"

"What? How do i get to the Station- No, nk, no, no Wai-" Dumbledore had placed his hand on Kiba's shoulder and next he knew, he was out of the office and on Hogsmeade station… Alone, well not completely. the train was there and a few students were shuffling to get onto the train. But Dumbledore was no where to be seen.

"Kiba, lad" Hagrid called as he came over to the boy "thought we left yer behind" Kiba smiled at the half giant

"you did actually," he said "but Dumbledore brought me here"

"heh, full of surprised tha' man. Yer better get on the train, 's 'bout time to leave" Kiba nodded and wished the gamekeeper nice holidays before heading into the train to find Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Promise you'll write this summer," Hermione said as the four got off of the train after the long ride back to Kings Cross.

"no guarantee…" Harry replied, "i don't think Uncle Vernon is going to let me" Ron shrugged his shoulders as Harry said this

"I'll write of something exciting happens," Kiba said "but that is a fantasy" The four shared a laugh and then headed through the barrier. Ron's Parents were already on the station, waiting for him and his brothers. Hermione's parents were there too, they spotted her and Kiba and quickly made their way to them, while Harry and Ron headed towards the Weasley parents.

"How was it dear?" Hermione's mother asked "did the finals go well?"

"she finished top of the year," Kiba replied "not to mention that she also helped Harry and Ron pass"

"really?" her Father asked, he looked rather proud "you really must have been working hard"

"i was," Hermione said. She turned to Kiba and hugged him tightly "I'll see you after Summer. Have a nice break, Kiba"

"you too, Hermione. I bet you'll have loads to tell when were back on the train" Hermione let go of the boy and waved once more as she headed for the station exit with her parents. Kiba said goodbye to Ron, and was left with Harry on the station.

"some year, huh?" Kiba sighed sitting down next to Harry on one of the benches. Harry didn't look up at first, he stared at his palms intently.

"some year.." Harry replied with a weak smile and then returned to his palms.

"it's Quirrell, right?" Kiba asked "you can't get it out of your Head.." Harry nodded slowly and looked at Kiba.

"it felt weird," he whispered "like i wasn't myself. I mean, as soon as i realized i had the power…"

"you didn't kill Quirrell, Harry" Kiba said softly, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Yes i did.. i burned him with my bare hands"

"No, Harry listen –"

"Kiba, you don't understand…" Harry said "by killing Quirrell, I-"

"I killed Quirrell… Harry, it wasn't you."

Harry could only stare at Kiba when he heard him speak. He blinked and thought he had imagined it but then kiba turned his face back forward at the tracks before them "when you blacked out, you dropped the stone. Quirrell was trying to get it and so, I cast a curse…" Kiba explained "but my conscience was slipping, and i couldn't control my curse properly and it was stronger then i intended it to be…"

"So you saved the school? You stopped Voldemort from returning?" Harry asked, "then you should be honoured!"

"no, Harry. You're missing the point." Kiba sighed loudly and closed his eyes "that night, I became a Murderer" he whispered "and it's been tearing me apart ever since… I don't deserve praise for what i did" Kiba placed his hand on his stomach and sighed once again "let Quirrel's death be my burden to bear" Harry nodded slowly add then stood up, spotting his Uncle in the distance. Kiba got up and hugged him, whishing him happy Holidays "and Harry, don't tell anybody.. yeah?" Harry nodded and shot Kiba a happy smile as he walked off towards his Uncle.

The evening was growing late, and the sky outside had darkened enough for the stars to appear. Kings Cross station grew steadily emptier but Kiba remained. ' _did they forget about me?_ ' Kiba asked himself. ' _but they can't have… Faye would have noticed, she wouldn't forget that I'm coming home today_ '

"Hey Kid!" a man called out to Kiba. He seemed to be one of the stations workers "you can't stay here the whole night," he said "Off you go!" Kiba swung his bag back onto his shoulder and began pulling his trunk towards the exit. He hoped that when he left the station, that somebody would be waiting for him, that somebody was there to take him to Leverton's. But the street was silent, and the parking spaces empty. All Kiba could hear was the pattering of the rain, and Hotaru's silent snores from his bag. He stood motionless under the last bit of roof that the station building provided, slowly realizing that he'd actually been forgotten. Not only by Faye, but by Lucy as well.. Kiba sighed and stretched his hand out, too feel the unusually cold rain and then stepped into it.

Kiba walked through the various streets of London in search for a black building which stood out from all the others, yet remained undetected by Muggles. Kiba was of course searching for the inn of the Leaky cauldron, he hoped to stay the night there and find a way back to Ilford the next day. It took Kiba two hours until he finally found the pub that Lupin had taken him to almost a year ago, he opened the door and stepped inside. To his luck there was still a bit of activity, which ment that Tom was still there.

"Hello, Lad" the bartender said "Blimey, your soaked.. Wait, have we met?"

"um, yes." Kiba replied stepping closer to the bar "i came here with Lupin"

"Scamander, was it?" Kiba nodded, "what brings you to my pub at this hour?"

"i missed the last bus, can't get home now" Kiba replied. He sat down on one of high chairs and turned it to face the bartender "i wondered if i might stay for the night"

"your a Wizard, call the Knight Bus. it'll have you home in no time"

"the Night bus?"

"No. The K-night Bus. Emergency transport for Witch and Wizard, surely you've heard of it"

"can't say i have. Where does it stop, and when?" Kiba asked quickly.

"it stops wherever it's needed. Just stand on any curb and point your wand at the street, that'll alert the Knight bus that you need transport"

"that's all? No incantation?" Tom nodded as shrugged his shoulders "thanks, sir. Goodnight"

"Goodnight, Mr. Scamander" Kiba hoped off the high chair and left the pub again, he took out his wand as stood on the curb.

' _does this count as underage wizardry?_ ' Kiba asked himself. He lifted his wand and pointed it to the street, his wand briefly lit up and Kiba looked to both sides for any sign of the vehicle.

 **HONK HONK**

Kiba quickly took a step back as a purple, Triple-decker bus came around the corner at incredible speed, and just as quickly as it appeared, it stopped. Right in front of Kiba. On the little entrance platform at the back of the bus stood a man in a purple uniform and a Conductors hat. He had pimples all over his face and a ticket machine hung from his neck. He was looking down at a small piece of paper and spoke "Welcome to the Knight Bus, Emergency Transport for the stranded Witch or Wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and i will be your conductor for this evening" he tugged the paper into his chest pocket as looked at Kiba. They stared at each other for a moment and didn't speak. "well? Where to?"

"Leverton's Orphanage, Ilford" Kiba replied

"then on you get, no time to lose. The Bus can't wait here for ever" Kiba nodded and pulled his trunk into the bus, the conductor led Kiba to one of the empty beds on the first desk and made him sit down. "you heard the lad, Ern" Stan said to the elderly wizard which sat behind the wheel. He wore giant glasses which kind of made him look like an owl, but next Kiba knew he was flung backwards and fell off the bed. He got to his feet and quick grabbed a nearby pole for support.

He looked out the window avid realized that the bus was travelling at an immense speed, avoiding other cars, buses and even pedestrians. The other wizards inside the beds were motionless and slept on, even when the bus screeched because it took a right turn and Shunpike just stood there holding out a piece of paper. "that'll be Eleven sickles" Kiba quickly rummaged through his bag and pockets in hope of finding what was left of his birthday money, which Lupin had sent him. Luckily, he found a Galleon and received six Sickles in return. "what's your name lad?"

"Kiba, sir"

"Sir? How polite… now what's a young wizard like you doing at the Leaky cauldron this late" Kiba struggled to hold on to the pole as the bus took turn after turn

"i was lost," Kiba replied "Ahh!" the bus abruptly stopped and this time Kiba's hands gave way and he flew forwards almost crashing face first into the front window.

"Leverton's Orphanage" Shunpike took Kiba trunk and carried it out of the bus with heavy grunts, Kiba followed after him and saw the bleak building before him. "we sincerely hope you enjoyed the ride in the Knight Bus and wish you a safe night" Shunpike said once he was back on the small platform. "take her away, Ern" the bus rumbled and then shot forward and disappeared from view. Kiba turned back toward the building which he had longed to return to.

"Faye, I'm home" he whispered. He grabbed his trunk and pulled it along to the door, he took a quick look at his watch and realized that the door is most likely locked, and it was. He knocked on it softly and waited.

He was about to knock again when he heard heavy coughing inside and the rustling of keys. The lock clicked and the door swung open, before him stood Lucy, and she looked horrific. Treats immediately began to well up in her eyes ave she slowly got onto her knees and stretched out her arms. Kiba lunged at her and hugged her tightly. "where were you? The police said they couldn't find you" she said through tears.

Kiba could feel tears of his own behind to well up, for some reason it hurt him to see Lucy like this. "i took a bus… because no one-"

"i know, Madam had an emergency at home ave drove away. She said she'd be back in time, but she is still gone" Lucy hugged the Boy even harder and cried into his shoulder "I thought she might pick you up on her way back, but the hours went by and neither of you returned. That's when i called the police so they could pick you up, and then they said you weren't on the station."

"it's okay Lucy, I'm fine" Kiba replied "the bus driver was kind enough to take me along for free, due to my situation"

"okay, you should head to bed. It's late, Goodnight"

"Goodnight" Kiba picked up his things and headed up the stairs. He swung open his room door expecting Faye to be sleeping on his bed after having fallen asleep waiting for him. But no, his bed was empty and tidy like he'd left it. As was the rest of the room. Kiba changed into his pyjamas and hung up his wet clothes on the radiator to dry. He jumped onto his bed and covered himself with the sheets. Even though Kiba would miss the Hogwarts food and his friends, he felt like Leverton's was still his home. He had Faye here avid could also start talking to Jacob since he had spent some time learning sign language. Kiba slowly closed his eyes and felt sleep take him. Telling Harry about Quirrell had helped him, since unlike the previous night, he was not plagued by Quirrell or that horrid face of Voldemort in his dream.

\--

 **Yay, SS is done! now it's on to the summer break and them CoS, which the last few chapters have been building towards. Hope you enjoyed the story so far. I promise i won't waste to much time on summer break, maybe a little adventure and then a trip to Diagon Alley. Maybe Jacob will drag Kiba into something? stay tuned!**

 **Rate and Review!**


	12. Chapter 12: a Quiet Adventure

**A/n: Underlined text means that it is in sign language.** **Enjoy and Review.**

Chapter 12: a Quiet Adventure

Kiba awoke the next morning to the sound of tapping on his window. He turned his head to look and saw a dark feathered owl which tapped on the glass with a letter in its beak. Kiba got up and opened to window to let the owl in and closed it again. He proceeded to retrieve the letter and opened it, it was a letter from Mr. Lupin

'Dear Kiba,

I hope you had a great year at Hogwarts, and i hope you made friends in your house. I've heard some rumours about Harry his friends doing something incredible and i wondered if you could tell me more.

Sadly, i also have to inform you, that i won't be able to take you to Diagon Alley this year too get you started for the Second Year. I've asked Dumbledore to find a replacement to assist you at the proper time.

Until we met again,

Remus J. Lupin'

Kiba quickly grabbed some parchment and a Quill to send a letter back. He told Remus that he was in Gryffindor with Harry, Ron and Harry, that they were good friends with Hagrid and that they had stopped You-Know-Who from finding and using the Philosophers Stone. Of course Kiba left out the big details which included Quirrell death, and their near death experience. He gave the letter to the Owl and opened the window, it took a few hops towards the window and then swung it's wings and flew off into the distance.

He picked up his watch from his desk and checked the time. ' _Lucy's probably up and preparing breakfast, might as well go down and help her_ ' Kiba headed downstairs and heard Lucy silently humming as she prepared the different bowls of cereal and cut up some bread. "Good morning, Sister Crawford" Kiba said politely

"Good morning, Kiba" she replied "gosh, you're up early for someone who was home late yesterday" they both chuckled and then Lucy handed him a glass bowl which was usually filled with a few Bananas, Apples and Pears.

"say Lucy, did madam return yesterday?" Kiba asked. His question obviously startled her as she nearly cut her fingers.

"uhmm, No. No, she didn't" She replied hastily, "don't worry she'll be back…" Lucy went back to cutting the bread and only a bit later Kiba was sitting at his regular table with Jacob, enjoying a nice slice of bread with cheese. Kiba was having a nice conversation with him, well Jacob wasn't talking but Kiba had learned to read sign language and was able to respond normally.

"do you know where Madam Helaway went?" Kiba asked in the hope that the silent boy knew anything

"Madam?" he responded "i thought she went to get you yesterday"

"No, i came back via bus" Kiba replied "Sister Crawford said she has a family Emergency, and wanted to pick me up on her way back… but that never happened" Jacob pulled a confused face

"i heard her say that she was off to get you"

' _What? Why would Lucy lie?_ ' Kiba thought, he took a look around the room and quickly finished his plate. He brought it to Lucy in the kitchen "is it okay if i go check on Faye?" he asked "she hasn't come down for breakfast yet"

"oh dear, i thought she'd have told you" Lucy said kneeling down and placing a hand on Kiba's shoulder "she's on a vacation with the Kenway's, she'll be back in a few weeks." Kiba's heart jumped, he thought at first that she'd been adopted without letting him know.

' _i ought to get an Owl next time I'm in Diagon Alley_ ' "alright, I'll be in the living room then" like he liked to do Kiba jumped onto the old, slightly torn couch to read the newspaper. Well not really read, but to see if there was anything interesting. But there was no newspaper, the coffeetable was empty. He got up and ran to the door to check if it was still on the ground there, but no. He looked around him with a puzzled look and then his eyes fell onto Madam's office. He peered through the window that was next to the door ave could barely see through the blinds, and there it was on the desk… the Newspaper. Kiba grabbed the handle and tried to open the door, but like always it was locked. ' _why would she put the Newspaper there? She usually leaves it on the coffeetable after she's read it_ '

They day passed rather slowly but Kiba spend some time with Jacob in the garden, and even voiced his opinion on certain children in the orphanage. "Jacob, do you know where the Newspaper is?" Kiba asked the boy as they returned inside, he nodded and pointed at the office. Kiba wanted to speak and then saw Lucy in a living room chair so he instead began using his still very bad sign language. "i need to get in" Kiba motioned

"really, why?"

"she's hiding something from me," Kiba replied "she knows i look at the Newspaper every morning"

"I might be able to help you, i can pick a lock… on my good days" Jacob said with a smile. Kiba was confused and showed this with his expression "i was raised by my father for a long time and he thought me, but when the police came i was put here"

"was your dad a criminal?" Jacob nodded and looked at his feet "Sorry, bad topic. We'll meet by the office after Crawford did her check round" Jacob nodded again, this time with now enthusiasm and smiled. Kiba returned to his room and dropped onto his bed. He sighed heavily and waited for the day to pass.

Night came and Lucy had done her checks, Kiba quietly slipped down the stairs and saw Jacob already fiddling with the lock. He nodded as Kiba approached but didn't stop what he was doing and not much later the lock clicked and Kiba swung the door open. "well done Jacob," he whispered "let me know if anybody is coming" Kiba quickly entered the office and picked up the Newspaper, the Newspaper was already opened to page three avid Kiba saw a horrific picture along with a haunting headline.

' **Car crash in Ilford kills two** ' it read, Kiba's eyes wandered towards the picture and then he recognized something. A familiar Car. A familiar License plate. "it can't be…" his eyes quickly darted across the text below and he gasped. Jacob was looking at him with a puzzled look so he read the text to him. "Yesterday Evening a young couple, who have yet to be identified, had a horrific car crash with a Woman who had been identified as Marie S. Helaway" Kiba read. Jacob's expression turned from interested to shocked. "while the young couple died near instantly, Mrs. Helaway miraculously survived and was taken to the hospital. It is currently unknown who, or what caused the crash… I can't believe it," Kiba dropped the Newspaper and steadied himself with his hands on the edge of the desk.

Kiba closed his eyes and sighed, trying to remember where exactly the hospital was. He opened his eyes again as spotted a familiar handwriting on an Envelope. It was Faye's, but it was addressed time the orphanage… but it was older, it was at least a month old. He spotted another one underneath it, the date on this one told Kiba it was one from before Christmas. He wanted take out the papers and read them but Jacob knocked on the door to get his attention. Kiba quickly put the Envelopes back in order and together with Jacob dashed up the stairs back to their beds before they were caught.

The next morning came and Kiba knew he had an opportunity to sneak out, it was Monday so Lucy would go out shopping. During that time Kiba planned to sneak out and head for the hospital. Jacob had seen him pack his bag and decided to come along too, it took some time before the two were able to sneak away undetected by the other children but eventually they made it out of the orphanage and across the road. Kiba had his 8 inch wand hidden in his pocket for emergency reasons and checked to make sure he did one last time. "which way?" Jacob asked. Kiba didn't respond, instead he just began walking… he didn't know where the hospital was or what it looked like, but he was sure they would find out somehow… they had to.

The two boys wandered aimlessly, asking person after person for directions, which never lead them anywhere. One man didn't even look at them and instead just pushed some money into Kiba's hands and wandered off. The sun travelled across the sky and was slowly disappearing beneath the horizon but they hadn't found the hospital. "Kiba, I'm hungry"

"alright, i see a store over there. let's see if we can buy anything" Kiba replied, they entered the store and picked up done candy, two apples and a bother of water. They had walked so long avid did far that neither remembered the way home. They left the store and proceeded down the small streets, Kiba was biting into his Apple and Jacob wad happily munching on some sweets when a man suddenly approached them.

"hey boys, you look lost," the man said in a kind tone, although his clothes might suggest that he was homeless. He was dressed in all black along with a long black leather coat which had brown stains all over it. His brown hair was a mess, his skin was dirty and a beard was forming on his face. In fact Kiba remembered seeing this particular man around the orphanage a few times. "need some help?" he asked. His head suddenly jerked toy the right slightly and he stuck his tongue out and quickly retracted it making a slight snarling noise.

"we're looking for the hospital" Kiba replied trying not too look at the man who repeatedly stuck his tongue out. The man turned and pointed at a building a little down the street.

"Right there, be safe kid" the man got back up straight and hurried off.

"weird guy" Jacob said with a shrug, but at least he had led them to the hospital. The two boys quickly made their way to the door and entered the building. The hospital was nice and clean, It smelled fresh yet dreadful at the same time. But Kiba had no intention of sightseeing like Jacob, he headed towards the receptionists.

"Excuse me?" he said softly

"Yes- Hello, how can i help you young one?" the receptionist replied kindly with a smile. She walked around her desk to face Kiba properly.

"I'm looking for a Woman," Kiba said

"your mom?" the receptionist asked softly

"No, my mother is dead. I'm looking for Madam Helaway"

"Oh…" the receptionist said, she got behind her desk again and flipped through some files. "you do know that visiting hours are over, right?"

"yes, but you see… we are Orphans from Leverton's and she is our Madam, we were worried so we decided to visit" Kiba said trying to sound and look sad, Jacob played along perfectly and the receptionist gave in and led us to a room further into the hospital.

"i have to warn you; she's very weak, but the doctors expect her to make a full recovery" she said before she opened the door to the room. And there she was, Madam Helaway, in a bed breathing slowly. Her head turned and her eyes widened at the sight she had before her.

"Kiba?!" she said weakly. Kiba quickly walked over to her and grabbed her bony old hand, "why are you here?"

"Jacob and I came to visit you after we found out what happened" Kiba replied.

He didn't understand, but somehow, seeing Madam like this made him sad. even though he never cared much for her he felt tears well up in his eyes but he surpressed them with all his might. Madam Helaway was hooked up to a few pipes and other machines that Kiba didn't recognize, but somehow this reminded him of… something.

"Kiba," Helaway whispered "I'm sorry that Fa… Fa-" she began coughing violently and a nurse came running into the room, she told the boys to leave the room and they reluctantly obeyed. They asked the nurse for directions and eventually found their way home.

"do you think Sister Crawford will be mad?" Jacob asked after tapping on Kiba's shoulder.

"probably…" Kiba replied. Of course she was going to be mad, they had been gone the entire day, and she didn't know where they went. They entered the garden through the creaky wooden gate and before they even reached the door it shot open. Lucy stood inside and didn't even speak as she led them inside.

"What were you thinking? Where were you?!" she asked Kiba since Jacob didn't speak "Kiba? And how did you get the candy?"

"a man gave us some money," Kiba replied silently, he looked at his knees and didn't dare look at Lucy. He knew he'd done wrong, but he didn't think of the consequences beforehand.

"Alright," Lucy sighed "and where were you?" she asked softer then before

"The hospital…" Kiba replied, from the corner of his eye he saw Lucy turn shocked "we wanted to visit Madam Helaway…"

"we snuck into the office yesterday, and read what happened on the Newspaper" Jacob said, while Kiba translated to Lucy.

"to bed…" Lucy said with a heavy breath "Now!"

The boys didn't hesitate, the got up and ran up the creaky wooden stairs and into their rooms. 'how'd it go?' Hotaru asked excitedly, Kiba shook his head and just dropped into his bed. He didn't even bother to undress he fell asleep as soon as Hotaru snuggled into him.

' _I'm such an idiot… and i dragged Jacob into it_ '

 _"Muggles… how dare you associate with them" the voice which Kiba had become accustomed to said_

 _"No, not you! Go away! Get out of my head!"_

 _"oh Kiba, your blood is pure but your judgement clouded" the man spoke "you should go, explore the magic world"_ _"shut up! I'm not running away! I disappointed Lucy today…"_ _'and i won't, ever again…'_

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	13. Chapter 13: There and Gone Again

Chapter 13: There and Gone Again

Time passed and Hogwarts was only two weeks away. Kiba hadn't yet received information on how he'd reach Diagon Alley, and who'd accompany him but it didn't bother him. Kiba jumped out of his bed and happily put on his clothes. Faye was said to return today from her vacation and Kiba couldn't wait, though according to Jacob she'd been gone for a long time. Kiba shrugged it off as a long and expensive vacation which Mr. Kenway obviously was able to afford. Kiba walked down the stairs and before he had even left the last step someone already wrapped their and around his neck and pounced onto him. It was her, of course. No one else hugged Kiba that way, and no one else tackled him like that. "i missed you so much" she squealed as she finally let go of the boy.

"I've missed you too, it's great to see you" Kiba replied with a bright smile that equalled hers. However, Lucy who watched from the side somehow seemed worried…

Faye said her goodbyes to Mr. And Mrs. Kenway and then pulled Kiba to breakfast so they could talk. "so, anything interesting happen?" Faye asked

"not really," Kiba replied "i finished second highest of the year. that's cool, i guess"

"Second? Who outshined you?" she asked with a sly smirk

"a girl from my House, one of my friends actually" Kiba replied "Hermione, she knows every book by heart before the year even starts" Faye's eyes widened and then she smiled again.

"is she, pretty?" she asked leaning forward

"yeah, one of the prettiest of our year" Kiba replied. Faye raised her eyebrows and smirked again, Kiba grew red quickly "No no no, it's not like that"

"but are you interested in anyone?"

"Not really… it's more like they are interested in me" Kiba replied with a sigh "Lavender, Parvati, Fay and there was a Slytherin girl that kept eyeing me" Faye's smirk disappeared and she looked rather surprised, surprised that Kiba was popular there but not here. "enough about my school though, that's boring. What did you do?"

"oh. Yeah, we took an awesome tour of France. Through Paris and the Bretaigne, it was awesome" she stared at the ceiling as she recalled the memories. "some great sightseeing but nothing exciting, except one thing…"

"yeah?" Kiba said, he was intrigued by the mystique of another country he had never been too.

"alright. you've heard of the Eiffel tower, yes?" Kiba nodded excitedly "well there's a restaurant at the very top, and we ate there"

"all the way at the top? that's incredible!" Kiba replied "how was the food?"

"Amazingly delicious! But there was this old town we went to called Saint-Malo, and there i had some super duper delicious fish" Kiba kept listening to her for hours as she told him of France and all the tasty foods she ate. She admitted that she missed the sweets Kiba brought her almost as much as she had missed him. She continued by telling him about the Crêpes she ate and the different kinds of breads they had there such as Croissants with chocolate and many others.

"did you hear about Madam?" Kiba asked a while later once Faye was done.

"No, what happened?" she replied with a worried expression

"she's in the hospital,"

"but Lucy said –"

"i know, she told me that too. But i read the truth in the newspaper" Kiba replied "she's been in a car accident, and is said to recover completely" The two sat in silence for a while before Kiba spoke again, "I'm sorry by the way.. that i haven't been writing. You see, uhm, we first years aren't allowed to send letters… b-but next year i will"

"oh no worries, i was with the Kenways most of the time" she replied

"yeah, i thought they'd make it official by now" Kiba said, Faye suddenly leaned in and began whispering into his ear.

"you see, they wanted to adopt because a doctor said Mrs. Kenway was unable to conceive" she said "but other doctors have said there's still a good chance that she can"

"oh. I see"

"I'm still confident they'll take you" Kiba added

"probably…"

"just let me know when it's happening" Kiba said with a smile which Faye returned weakly.

Kiba had as much fun spending time with Faye as he had now. He spent day after day with Faye and occasionally Jacob, Diagon Alley and buying school supplies had slipped his mind completely until one morning, when an Owl delivered a envelope to him. Within it were two letters, one from McGonagall which contained the second-year supply list and one from Dumbledore. He opened Dumbledore's letter first and began to read.

'Dear Mr. Scamander,

Mr. Lupin has informed me that you will need supervision in Diagon Alley, and that he himself unfortunately can't do it. I've asked several parents of Students from your year and have received an answer.

Mr. Malfoy and his Son will accompany you to Diagon Alley on Wednesday. He will stop by the orphanage and take you along.

Kind regards,

Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore.'

' _Malfoy? I wonder what his father is like…_ ' Kiba thought. He was about to open the supply list when Faye burst into his room, he quickly put the letters in the envelope and hoped that Faye wouldn't ask about them.

"Kiba!" she shouted

"yeah what's up?" he replied

"you didn't forget did you?" she said

"you forgot?!"

"what did i forget?!"

"I'm leaving today…"

"oh yeah, right. How long will you be gone?"

"i told you before, I'm staying with the Kenway's for a week to see how it feels" she said, Kiba's eyes widened like they did when she first told him "that means bye.. until Christmas…" Kiba went downstairs with Faye where the Kenway's were already waiting for her. Faye hugged Kiba tightly and then grabbed the necklace that hung around his neck.

"promise.." Kiba said holding out his pinky. The locked them and then hugged again. "we're not parting ways forever, I'll be back on Christmas" She turned back and waved once more as she walked with the Kenway's to their sleek black car. "we'll see each other again soon, i promise" Kiba sighed and wanted to head back upstairs to read through his supplies list. But Lucy called him to the living room where everyone was sitting patiently in a circle on the ground.

"great news, Children" she said with a bright smile "because, guess what. Madam Helaway is coming home" most of the children cheered and some seemed annoyed but Kiba showed few emotions. Helaway had always been nastier towards the children in the Orphanage but when Kiba saw her in that white hospital bed, the way he viewed her changed. He knew that deep down she loved every child in the orphanage as much as her own. "but she'll be needing some help sometimes. She still hasn't fully recovered but insisted on coming back.. so who-"

"I'll do it!" Kiba said "I'll take care of Madam" Lucy was then aback by this sudden change of attitude towards Helaway from Kiba. In her eyes, Kiba and Helaway never got along, something happened in that hospital that night, something nobody understood.

"ahem. Well thank you, Kiba" Lucy said "that is very kind of you… Now, who wants to play some games?" Certainly not Kiba, he was already saddened… saddened by the fact that he won't see Faye again for a few months. Well, at least he had Jacob.. and Hermione, Harry and Ron will probably have lots to tell once they're on the train. And maybe he would meet them at Diagon Alley

Kiba entered his room and once again saw an Owl by his window, a snow white Owl. "Hedwig!" he opened the Window and let the bird hop in. Hotaru came flying to her side and greeted the Owl.Kiba retrieved the envelope from Hedwig's beak and read the letter inside.

'Dear Kiba,

I hope i got the address right. Like i said, Vernon wouldn't let me write any letters and when a House-Elf ruined his business deal and framed me he put bars on my window.

Ron and Hermione were concerned so Ron took Fred and George, and saved me with a flying car. A Flying Car! I'm at Ron's house now and it's absolutely brilliant, you should come visit here sometime.

Anyway, we're all going Diagon Alley on Wednesday and we hope that you come too. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley are dieing to meet you and Hermione, but careful with Mr. Weasley, he's fascinated by Muggle inventions and constantly asks questions.

Hope to see you soon,

Harry'

Kiba replied with a quick message, saying that he'll be there and that he'd be glad to meet Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. He left out the information that he'd be going with the Malfoy's, since that would probably sit badly with Harry and Ron. He gave the letter to Hedwig and after petting her softly sent her off. He saw his supply list once more and grabbed it, he pulled it out of the envelope and-

"Kiba! Madman Helaway is back!" Lucy called. He sighed and dropped the envelope and letter once more and headed downstairs. After all Kiba had promised to help her, she had been brought in a wheelchair by a Nurse and was greeting the children who happily approached her.

"Kiba… How good to see you" she said softly stretching her arms out wide for a hug, Kiba gave her what she asked for. "could you help me to my office? I'd like to get my desk in order" Kiba obeyed and rolled her into her office where, once again, Kiba spotted the stack of Faye's letters. However, not only he saw them but so did Madam. She grabbed then and quickly tossed them into one of the drawers she never used and began cleaning some papers and organising them.

\--


	14. Chapter 14: Meeting Malfoy

Chapter 14: Meeting Malfoy

The week had been busy for Kiba, to say the least. Cleaning, gardening and cooking were only a few of the things Kiba helped Helaway with until she began walking herself again. It was Wednesday morning and Kiba felt as excited as he did last year, maybe even more, to go to Diagon Alley and he was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mr. Malfoy. In his mind Kiba drew several pictures of what Mr. Malfoy might be like.. he guessed him as rather tall, and well dressed like Mr. Kenway. Most likely short blonde hair like Draco's or long black hair, and long as in far past the shoulders.. Maybe glasses?

Kiba had just finished breakfast and returned to his room to finally get a look at his supply list. ' _what are all these books?_ ' Kiba thought as he read the list. ' _one book of standard spells and the rest by one and the same Wizard… Gilderoy Lockhart_ ' Kiba made sure to put the list into his pocket so he'd have it later when-

 **DING DONG**

Kiba heard the doorbell ring through the house and quickly grabbed his wand and made sure Hotaru was safely in his jackets inside pocket. He practically ran down the stairs when he heard the voice of a man, "are you sure this is the right place, Draco"

"Yes Father, i am sure" Draco replied. It was them, Kiba would recognise Draco's voice anywhere, it had a certain attitude to it which nobody else had.. except maybe his father. "Kiba!"

"Hey Draco. Hello, Mr. Malfoy" Kiba said

"ah, Mr. Scamander. I'm pleased to finally meet you, Draco's told me allot" The man replied. He had long blonde hair and was indeed very well dressed, but wore no glasses. Instead he held a cane in his right hand which was decorated with a silver serpents head. He flung his cane into his left hand and extended his right. Kiba shook it and smiled

"call me Kiba, sir" Kiba said

"you may call me Lucius" Mr. Malfoy replied with a nod "shall we?"

"just a second, I've got to let Madam know that I'm leaving" Kiba quickly ran into Madam's office and told her he was off to but school supplies, she nodded absently and Kiba left the building with the Malfoy's "so, how will we get there?"

"ever Apparated before?" Lucius asked

"Apparated?" Kiba asked

"a sort of teleportation" Malfoy said quickly

"i think so," Kiba then said "twice" Lucius placed his cane on the ground in front off him and Draco put his hand ontop of his Father's. Kiba hesitated but then placed his hand onto Draco's and next he knew they were in Diagon Alley. Unlike his first two times he didn't feel nauseous after Apparating, nor did he feel like he'd throw up, maybe he had already become accustomed to it.

"where to?" Lucius asked turning to Kiba,

"well… i haven't got any coins on me, so I'd say Gringotts" Lucius nodded and led the way towards the oddly shaped building ' _wait, i haven't got my vault key either… maybe i can still get into my vault_ ' they entered the bank and headed all the way for the main desk, usually where the head Goblin sat.

"ah, Mister Malfoy" the goblin said as it looked up "and Mister Scamander, i hoped you'd come"

"We wish to enter our vaults…" Lucius said,

"of course. Mister Scamander would you mind presenting your wand?" the Goblin asked, Kiba nodded and retrieved his wand from his pocket. The Goblin inspected it, and then nodded as it handed it back along with a Key. "Griphook, would you please?" The other Goblin named Griphook, who also took Kiba to his vault the year prior, took the three Wizards to the cart and brought them to Mr. Malfoy's vault. As he opened it Kiba sneaked a look inside and saw mountains of coins that were probably equally, if not larger then his.

"Vault eight-hundred and eighty-eight, Kiba Rolf Scamander" Griphook said.

"woah, is this all yours Kiba?" Draco gasped as he stared, wide eyed into the vault. His father turned him around with a quick nudge of his cane

"we don't look into the vaults of others Draco, not unless they say we can" He said with a flicker of anger in his voice. Kiba gathered some Galleons as quickly as he could so they could all return to the surface. They left the bank and this time Lucius took the lead, leading them away from the shops into another alley called Knockturn Alley. Unlike Diagon Alley it was dark, filthy and tight.. and definitely not a place for children to be in.

"don't worry Kiba, i just have to take care of some business here and then we'll return to Diagon Alley" Lucius said when he spotted Kiba's worried expression. Kiba looked through the different windows and located some strange items. Tiny heads, limbs and weird, creepy toys. But one window stopped him when he saw movement inside the shop, a young wizard with black Hair was checking some items, he whipped his head around when the shop door opened and Kiba recognized his face immediately ' _Harry?_ '

"come now, Kiba" Lucius said as he entered that exact shop. Borgin and Burke's stuck Kiba as a illegitimate shop immediately. It was cold and dark inside, and the items had no pricetags on them or any indication that they were buyable. "no touching Draco!" Luicius said smacking his Son's hand away from a jar of eyeballs. Kiba Instead focused on the closet that Harry had decided to hide in, it shook a little and then the door closed. But it wasn't just Kiba who saw this, Draco slowly made his way to the closet but stopped when Kiba called him over.

"Draco, come look at this!" he called pointing at a severed hand which was moving ever so slightly. Luckily he took the bait and didn't pay any further attention to the closet.

"Hey! What do you two think you're doing here?!" they suddenly heard a voice shout "this ain't a place for you!" He grabbed Kiba by the arm with his wrinkly, bony, old hand and tried to drag him out of the shop

"let me go! you're twisting my wrist!" Kiba yelled. Though the man's hand was bony and old he had a grip and the strength of a buff thirty year old man.

"and let me tell you, if i ever see you in here again I'll- oh, Master Malfoy. Just a moment, i have to discipline thi-" Lucius had stepped inbetween the man and the shop door and looked down upon him devilishly.

"this boy is with me, Mister Borgin. So I'd appreciate it if you'd let him go" the man flinched and Kiba immediately pulled his wrist from the man's grip.

"of course Master Malfoy. what can i do for you? Would you be looking for anything, Valuable?" Borgin smiled up at Lucius who revealed a box he was carrying

"actually, i'd like to sell, the ministry Raids have doubled in the past few weeks and i fear they might interfere in my business" Lucius said as he walked to the nearby counter with Borgin. He turned to Kiba and Draco "have a look around boys, Kiba feel free to pick a book you'd like to have,"

"what about me fat-" Draco began but stopped when his father shot him a deadly glare

"we've talked about this Draco, now hush and behave" Lucius turned back to Borgin who was admiring the artefacts he had brought him as Kiba began browsing the books of the shop. Most of them were dusty and almost fell apart when one touched them but for one. Kiba grabbed it and blew against it's cover to clear some of the dust before he opened it to look inside.

"Most Potent Dark Magic" Draco said, "isn't it a bit to early for Dark arts Kiba?"

"the better you know the spell, the easier it gets to defend yourself from it" Kiba replied snapping the book shut, he didn't know why he said what he just did, nor did it actually make any sense to himself but Draco shrugged and continued browsing. Kiba took the book and brought it over to the counter where Lucius stood alone. Borgin returned with a sack of Gold Galleons and placed them on the counter and then spotted the book.

"no books for kids in here," he said

"surely, Mister Borgin, you'd want to apologize for the inconvenience you caused Mister Scamander?"

"but this book is one of my personals, you see, i'd hate to –" from the corner of his eyes Kiba saw Mr. Malfoy glare at the shop owner "not sell it, that'll be 28 Galleons. Master Scamander." Lucius dropped a few golden Galleons onto the ones on the counter to make the total 28, he grabbed the book and handed it to Kiba. It was amazing and somewhat inspiring to see how Mr. Malfoy got his will without saying a word.

"good day, Mister Borgin" Lucius said leading the way out of the shop

"good day, Master's" he called after them. As they walked past the display window Kiba saw the closet door open, and Harry step out. At least neither Draco nor Lucius or Borgin had seen him, only few could imagine how that would end up.

"thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Kiba said placing the book underneath his left arm "with this I'll have a headstart on Defense Against the Dark Arts every year" Lucius shot him a brief smile and the three continued towards Diagon Alley which was visible on the distance as it's smell of beer and sweets began to flew into the other alleys.

"anything you need to get before we get our books, Kiba?" Draco asked "The line at Flourish and Blotts is still to long"

"ahem, yeah… Yes, i might buy an Owl" Kiba said heading straight for the shop in which he bought Hotaru.

"Mister Scamander, welcome" the owner said "have you come to buy or sell?"

"i thought you never wanted Hotaru back?" Kiba replied

"hah, you see.. i sold you that Dragon for much less then she's worth" he said "Wolf-Dragons are worth at least 350 Galleons nowadays"

"actually, I've come to buy an Owl, sir" Kiba said

"ahh, of course. And i think i got just the right type for you" he quickly waddled into the back of the shop and brought back a cage with an Owl in it. The Owl's feathers had many variations of Red and Orange, making it look like a small Phoenix. "this beauty is a Spanish Phoenix-Owl. I guess you understand why"

"he's beautiful" Kiba gasped

'Beautiful? What kind of guy calls an Owl Beautiful?' the Owl hooted back

"an honest one, i mean look at you"

'yeah, act like you understand me'

"but i can. I can understand any animal… except my friends Rat.. you know, performance issues, one out of a Hundred" Kiba joked, the Owl didn't respond and instead just looked at the boy curiously "how much?"

"well, it's a rare breed from-"

"how much?"

"I'd say, 'bout a Hundred-Eighty Galleons" the Owner replied

"how 'bout a Hundred-fifty?" Kiba said dropping a small sack on the counter while he kept looking at the Owl.

"fine," the Owner said snatching the bag and counting the Coins. "of you go then"

'erm, thank you… i guess' the Owl hooted softly

"hey, you're worth more then i just paid." Kiba replied picking up the cage by its handle "and i was being honest, by the way" Once again the Owl remained silent but greeted Hotaru once she joined him in his cage. "let's buy you two some food" Kiba entered the next shop and bought some Owl food and dead bats for his two pets and returned outside to the Malfoy's.

Lucius bend down and examined Kiba's pets "you have a thing for these rare breeds then?" he asked "i wouldn't keep them as pets, show them to the right buyer and he'd pay double their worth"

"Maybe.. but they're not my pets, i consider them friends" Kiba replied smiling down at his new friend who happily hooted back to him.

"anyways, let's head into Flourish and Blotts" Lucius led the way through a crowd of young and middle aged witches and made his way to the front like he was royalty, while Kiba and Draco followed close behind. Lucius showed the supply list to to the man at the counter and asked for all the books twice.

"Draco?" Kiba asked "are they all here for this Lockhart guy?"

"probably, seems like he's signing books today…" Draco replied pointing to a sign near the counter "he's the most famous Wizard of our time I'd say"

"hmpf, I've never heard of him until today.. can't be that famous" the two boys shared a laugh and were then handed their books by Lucius. "how much did it cost?" Kiba asked, intending to pay the man back

"don't bother, let it be my treat" he replied "you two wait here, i have got to make an order at the Broom shop"

"I'll go get a better look from up top" Draco said after placing the books in his bag "you coming, Kiba?"

"sure," Kiba replied also stuffing his books away in his bag. He ran up the wooden stairs to the higher area of the book store and looked down at the shuffling Witches which were desperate to get a look at the famous Wizard which would begin his signing session in just a few minutes. He spotted a few red heads among them and suspected them to be the Weasley's, and he was correct. He spotted Ron among them just as Hermione and Harry joined them. Kiba wanted to call out to them and say hello, but a sudden and loud cheering drew his attention to the front counter of the shop.

A Man with dashing blonde hair had appeared in aquamarine clothes and smiled at the man who snapped a picture of him. He winked at a pretty witch at the front of the row and then stopped "goodness me, is that Harry Potter?"

The cameraman whipped around, grabbed the scar bearing boy and dragged him to the front where Lockhart took him and pulled him in close. Kiba could see him whisper something to Harry before he began addressing the crowd while the cameraman kept flashing him and the crowd with pictures. ' _Pictures…_ ' Kiba thought ' _Camera! I'll buy a Camera for Faye and Myself and then we can send each other Pictures_ ' Kiba practically jumped with joy at the idea

"That Potter" Draco spat "no matter where Scarhead goes he's always the main attraction" Draco said ripping a page out off a book that he held. He turned and headed back downstairs.

"come on, Harry isn't that bad" Kiba said following him "maybe if you'd try to be his friend you'd see"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter?" Draco half-shouted to the black haired Wizard, while ignoring Kiba's statement "Famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making the front Page"

"why are you with him?" Hermione asked Kiba as she joined him on the last few steps of the staircase

"they volunteered to accompany me. wasn't my idea" Kiba replied "though Mister Malfoy did pay for my books including an extra one" Hermione raised a brow "I don't know, he likes me… i guess"

"Now, now Draco. Play Nicely" Lucius said. He had appeared behind Draco and had pushed him aside by the shoulder with his Snakehead cane. Draco quickly made his way back to Kiba's side "Ah, Mister Potter. Lucius Malfoy," he said extending his hand toward Harry "we meet at last…" Harry reluctantly took Lucius' hand and was pulled towards him with force. Lucius carefully moved Harry's hair above his right eye away to reveal his scar "Forgive me, your scar is legend. As is the wizard who gave it to you"

"Voldemort killed my parents. To me," Harry replied, freeing himself from Mr. Malfoy's grasp "he's nothing more then a murderer" Kiba felt a familiar sting in his stomach and grasped it with his free hand.

"you must be very brave to mention his name, or very foolish" Lucius responded quickly

"fear of a name only creates fear of the thing itself" Hermione hissed back at the man. He turned his head towards the bushy haired Witch and then raised his chin

"you must be, Miss Granger" Lucius said with a smirk "Oh yes, Draco's told me all about you and your parents… Muggles, aren't they?" Hermione didn't respond, she only stared at the man with anger in her eyes. "let me see. Red hair, vacant expressions, tatty second hand book…" his eyes travelled all the way from Fred and George, past Percy and Ron to Ginny and then her cauldron. "The Weasley's" just then Arthur, Ron's father came to the group. Before Kiba could listen to the conversation any further, he was dragged out of the shop by his hand.

"sorry, i just wanted to get out of there" Hermione apologised once they stopped

"yeah, i think that might spiral out of control" Kiba added

"by the way, i thought you said you'd write" Hermione told him

"hah, yeah… they wouldn't let me, so i got an Owl now" Kiba said holding up the cage he had in his hand

"wow, it's beautiful" Hermione gasped, sticking her finger into the cage to let the Owl nibble on it.

"it's a Phoenix-Owl" Kiba added

"Mister Scamander, it was a pleasure to meet you" Lucius said once he came out of the shop with a disgusted look towards Hermione.

"yeah, thanks for taking me along" Kiba replied, Draco came out of the shop next and followed his father without a word. "say Hermione, do you know where i can buy a camera?"

"no, sorry. But surely my father does," Hermione said "I'm sure he'd be delighted to tell you over a bite to eat"

"yeah, i'd like that" Kiba said with a warm smile towards Hermione "I've been meaning to ask, how do you pay for your supplies?"

"with Galleons, duh" Hermione said, Kiba wanted to speak but she stopped him "i know what you meant, my Dad exchanges Muggle Money for Wizard Money"

"and does that work the other way around too?" Kiba asked.

"maybe, i don't know" Hermione replied. The shop door opened once more and out stepped Mr. Weasley,

"Hermione! And Kiba if I'm correct?" The man said, Kiba nodded "I'm Arthur Weasley, Ron's father. And i have to say, you really do look different in pictures"

"you saw a picture of me?" Kiba questioned him

"well yes, Ron showed me the picture of the four of you when he put it in his photobook" Arthur replied with a smile "well it was nice to meet the both of you, hope we'll see each other on the station next week" he began walking of with his wife, his sons and his daughter. Hermione and Kiba shared a brief weird with Harry and Ron and off they were too,

"and Harry said something about a House-elf showing up in his bedroom" Hermione said, finishing her story. They sat in the inn of the Leaky Cauldron with Hermione's parents as Hermione told Kiba what happened to Harry, he listened to her every word and wanted to know every detail. Hermione's parents were less interested, as Muggles they didn't seem to care much for Wizard stories. Kiba had asked Mr. Granger where he could buy two Camera's for a good price and the man had told him of a store and offered to buy them and bring them to the station for the boy. Kiba insisted that he take some of his Galleon's for the trouble and the man agreed. They finished their meals and parted ways, Hermione waved as the the Car began driving away from Kiba and he waved back with a smile. He took the next bus home... ' _home.._ ' as much as he disliked to call it that… it was all he had.

Had ever had…

\--


	15. Chapter 15: Heritage

Chapter 15: Heritage

Kiba sat on the Hogwarts express, it was again time to enter the world of wizardry. The world that was still quite unknown to him, as were his roots. Over the course of the summer, thoughts of his ancestors and who they might have been crossed his mind, making him realize how little he actually knows of himself. He stared absently out of the compartment window at the passing trees and fields thinking of any way that he could find out what it means to be the heir. As many had told him his previous year, it had to do something with Slytherin.. what if he couldn't find out because of the sorting? A finger snapped close to his face and shook him out of his trance.

"Kiba?" it was Hermione, the only other person in the compartment "what's on your mind? you've been stareing out of that window for an awfull long time"

"it's nothing," Kiba replied "just mentally preparing"

"preparing?" Hermione echoed with a chuckle "how about a bet then?"

"what are you thinking of?" he asked finally turning his head to look at the girl

"let's say, between the two of us, whoever scores lowest at the end of the year buys the other… umm.. Candy?"

"sounds fun, I'm on board" Kiba replied. He kept talking to Hermione as the train ride went on. Together they wondered who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would be, where Harry and Ron were and what new things they might learn that year. The thoughts of being the heir of Slytherin finally completely fled the young wizards mind when Hermione and him spotted something in the sky. A Blue Car was flying alongside the train, and worst of all, someone was dangling from the opened passangerside door.

"it's that… Harry?" Hermione asked, but neither of the two could really see. A Red haired head suddenly looked down from the drivers seat and reached out his hand, and it was the face of none other then Ronald Weasley.

"i think that's Ron," Kiba said "So the other is most likely.." Hermione gasped when Harry's hand slipped from Ron's as ity looked like he would certainly fall to his death, but he still held on to the door. And after a long while he grabbed Ron's hand once more and climbed back into the car, Hermione and Kiba both breathed a sigh of relief when Hermione said something that would once again give Kiba the worst pain in his stomach.

"Harry, defying death every year" she said, Kiba grunted as silently as he could as he held his hand to his hurting stomach. It seemed like that would happen every time someone mentioned Quirrell or death. But Kiba wasn't the only one who was reminded of something at that moment, Hermione suddenly looked at Kiba and leaned in closer. "Kiba, do you remember the forest.. Last year?" she asked. The boy knew exactly what this would lead to, and nodded as he looked to his feet. "when You-Kno-Who chased us, you said something"

"it was Parseltongue," Kiba replied "Snake Language" Hermione didn't reply, all she did was nod. "and before you ask, i didn't even know i could speak it. I think it somehow happens automatically when i try to talk to snakes"

"it did sound like you were furiously hissing" Hermione replied with a chuckle. Kiba relaxed, it seemed to him like Hermione thought nothing of Kiba's rare gift, or ability. Maybe she didn't know what it meant, not that Kiba really knew himself..

"but don't tell anyone.. alright?" Kiba said as soft yet as serious as he could. Hermione nodded quickly and returned to reading a book she had with her. Kiba once again stared out of the window at the now darkened land, the sun had almost set completely which ment that Hogwarts wasn't far anymore. Kiba closed his eyes in the hope of falling asleep, so that he could drown out his sinister thoughts and be ready once they reach the Castle, but to no avail. The sinister thoughts that now circled through his head were keeping him awake, and a voice echoed through his head repeatedly.

' _Slytherin's heir_ '

He had to know the truth, what it meant, and quickly. Kiba wouldn't and couldn't handle the voice or those thoughts for another year, he had to find a way even if it got him expelled. But Kiba had no idea where to start looking other then the founder of Slytherin house, but there was nothing detailed, let alone anything about the Heir in the library. Kiba brainstormed ideas. ' _Wait! We have a book of Godric Gryffindor in our common room.. what if Slytherin had one too? But how would i get in… Draco!_ '

"Kiba, come on! We're here" Hermione said snapping her finger in front of Kiba again. Kiba quickly got up and followed Hermione out of the train. They watched as the huddled group of first years followed Hagrid down to the boats while they walked towards the self-moving carriages that would take them to the great gate. But something bothered Kiba as they got on, he was visibly confused. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked

"Well, look" Kiba said pointing to the front of the carriage "that's what's wrong"

"what is?"

"don't you see it? they're not moving by themselves. they're being pulled"

"nothings pulling the carriage, Kiba" Hermione replied, "are you feeling alright?"

"what are you?" Kiba asked leaning forwards to place his hand on the boney, black horse that pulled the carriage along the path. The winged creature didn't respond and continued walking at its steady pace. Kiba suddenly felt a hand press against his forehead which made him jump and almost fall of the carriage.

"i think you're a bit ill, are you really feeling fine?" she asked with concern written across her face.

"yeah… I'm fine," Kiba replied. Kiba turned his attention to the sky in the hopes of spotting that blue car again, but he couldn't see it. "Maybe they're already inn the castle"

"Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked in return "i hope so, they're probably already in trouble for just flying they car here, wouldn't want to be late then and get into more trouble" Kiba agreed with the witch quickly as they made their way from the gate to the Castle and into the great hall. As always, they me seventh years sat closest turned the door, followed by the classes lower then theirs and ending with the second years. There was enough space left for any new Gryffindor's that would be sorted, but Hermione and Kiba sat at the very end of the second year rows but nowhere did they see Harry or Ron, as a matter of fact Snape wasn't at the teachers table and Filch was nowhere in sight. They great doors swung open as McGonagall came walking in with the new first years.

Like she had done the previous year, she stopped the children in front of the steps that led to the chair with the old sorting hat on it. Kiba was got with a wave of nostalgia when the hat sang it's song, and when the students were sorted. But there was none that stood out from all the students like Harry, well maybe one. A Girl with long Silver hair stood out visually, but Lovegood wasn't a Wizard surname Kiba had heard of. The girl in question, Luna, was sorted into Ravenclaw, probably the only house that had colours that matched with her hair. Dumbledore stood up from his chair and all the chatting and greeting of the first years stopped immediately.

Dumbledore began speaking and, like last year, reminded students of rules and regulations in Hogwarts. And afterwards he summoned the feast for all to enjoy. But, while Kiba happily munched on his roast and drank his pumpkin juice, Hermione looked displeased. Harry and Ron had yet to appear, and they did, but not physically. Kiba spotted a few newspapers along the table and one caught his attention, on it he could see a flying blue car with the fitting headline 'flying cars over London' Kiba was sure that it was the same car that flew next to the train. "they're in big trouble" Kiba said showing the article to Hermione, she also recognized the car and knew it was them.

"Seven Muggles?!" Hermione burst out. They looked at reach other worryingly, they knew that Harry and Ron weren't just in trouble at school, no, with the Ministry as well.

"what an excellent feast this has been, but now it's time for bed" Dumbledore said loudly "First years will stick with their house prefects, a good night to all" Hermione and Kiba remained seated for a while to wait for the doorway to clear since everyone would be trying to get through. As they did though, they saw Dumbledore and McGonagall leave through the door by the teachers table, they must've spotted that Harry and Ron were missing too.

But those two wouldn't be missing for long, before Kiba knew they entered the common room to a thunderous applause. Furthermore, they didn't even look sad, they looked happy. But Percy and Hermione looked less then pleased that the two rule breakers were getting so much attention. Percy was about to grab them by their ears and drag them off but they were fast up the spiral staircase and inside their dorm, closely followed by Seamus, Neville and Dean.

"Idiots, the lot of them" Hermione sighed as she also proceeded to their dorm, Kiba followed close behind her and saw that their door no longer had the First years sign, but instead the second years sign. He entered the room where Harry and Ron were still being applauded.

"ever famous" Kiba said loudly before happily greeting the boys. Harry went on to explain everything, how a house elf appeared in his bedroom and dumped a cake on a guests head, how it told Harry not to go to Hogwarts, that the gateway to platform 9 3/4 sealed itself and how the big tree on the Castle grounds almost smashed them to pieces.

"my dad's gonna kill me" Ron whined as he recalled the damaged blue car driving off into the forbidden forest.

"but why weren't you at the feast?" Kiba asked "you should've arrived at almost the same time as us"

"Filch caught us on the way to the great hall.." Harry replied "took us straight to Snape"

"and your not expelled?" Kiba asked in disbelief

"Nope" Harry replied proudly

"big fat detentions though" Ron added. They didn't talk much longer then that, all of them were excited to start their second year of Hogwarts.

Kiba however, barely slept that night. As her lay in his four-poster he remembered his plan, his plan to find out about his heritage, and who he was. That morning Kiba felt happy even though he barely managed to get some shuteye, at least he didn't have to deal with Snape or the yet to be introduced Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. As Kiba sat at the Gryffindor table with Hermione, Harry and Ron he spotted Draco entering the great hall, he quickly excused himself approached him.

"Hey Draco," Kiba said, Draco's friends didn't waste time and took their places on either side of the Slytherin and crossed their arms. They were slightly taller then Kiba even though Kiba was already considered as tall for his age "can i ask you something?" Draco waved his hand at his two friends

"I'll be right there" they obeyed and left the two "yeah, what's up?"

"well, i was wondering," Kiba began "we have a book about Godric Gryffindor in our common room, and i wanted to know if you had one about your founder in yours"

"Maybe, I'm not sure" Draco replied "i don't go near that bookshelf"

"could you look, for me?" Kiba asked "i know it sounds weird, i just want to know more about the founder of Slytherin house"

"yeah, i get it" Draco responded, "i can check during lunch, and if your lucky and i find it I'll give it to you"

"that would be great" Kiba said with a smile "i won't keep it to long either, I'll read it quickly"

Draco smiled back at the Gryffindor and went to take his seat at the Slytherin table, Kiba returned to his seat as well while the other three just stared at him. Hermione's look though, asked the question that the others were thinking "he owes me a favour" Kiba lied quickly, Ron was unconvinced he looked a bit disgusted and Harry just looked worried, worried that Draco's hate towards him would drive Kiba away from him too. "and to be honest, i think the reason Draco doesn't like you is because his father told him so"

"his father tells him to hate others?" Ron asked

"you should see the way he treats Draco," Kiba replied, he saw Draco hat the Slytherin table telling stories to his friends while looking as smug as he always did "i kind of feel bad for him"

A loud noise suddenly drew their attention towards the centre of the table where an Owl had just crashed into a bowl of fruits sending them across the table, or the floor. Suddenly Seamus broke into an uncontrollable laughter "Weasley's got himself a howler" Ron looked terrified, the sealed red envelope before him surely contained the angry words of his father.

"What's a howler?" Kiba asked leaning over to Hermione

"it's a talking –" Hermione began as the letter began forming into the shape of an angry looking mouth

"RONALD WEASLEY!" it shouted in a female voice

"letter" Hermione sighed

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR?! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! AND WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DRAG HARRY INTO IT? YOUR FATHER IS NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK! LET THIS BE A WARNING RONALD. IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE WILL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!" by the time the letter finished shooting at the redhead he was already hidden underneath the table with nothing but his forehead and eyes popping up. He nodded throughout the message, and before anyone knew what had happened the envelope ripped itself into pieces and scattered over the table. The hall remained quiet but for a few snickers and laughs from the Slytherin table... there was the consequence of their glorious entrance..

Hermione looked pleased even though she was probably not happy with the fact that Harry had no parents who would yell at him for what he's done.

The first week of school began smoothly, Hermione and Kiba hadn't forgotten their bet and were trying their hardest to get good oral marks right off the bat. Draco had found the old book of Salazar Slytherin and promised to give it to him at lunch on Thursday. Thursday was their freest day, just double Herbology with Slytherin and Kiba was excited to finally find out about his ancestor and bloodline.

"Welcome to Green-House three Second years, now gather round everybody" Madam sprout came into view at the end of the table, pulling Kiba out of his thoughts and into the lesson. "today, we'll be repotting Mandrakes" she turned around and grabbed a big pot which, like the smaller ones on the large table they stood at, had green leaves sticking out of it. "Now, can anyone tell me the properties of the Mandrake root?" Hermione and Kiba shot their hands up high and Professor Sprout picked Hermione to answer.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora is used to turn those who've been petrified back to their original state," Hermione said, Sprout nodded telling her to keep going "it is also quite dangerous. The Madrake's cry is fatal to anyone who hears it" Even without looking, Kiba knew that Hermione was smiling at him with an overjoyed look, she had started the year of strong with some perfect answers.

"Splendid! Ten points to Gryffindor" Professor Sprout explained that they would be using baby Mandrakes, as using adult ones would be far too dangerous. Everyone was told to grab a pair of earmuffs from the back, which created a rush for the ones that didn't have mud or crusty slime hanging off. Kiba managed to salvage a clean looking pink one with little dirt on the outside. They all snapped them on as they watched the teacher pull out what looked like a deformed baby covered in mud squeal at the sudden change of environment. It writhed around as Professor Sprout held it from its green leaves above its head. She then carried the Mandrake to another empty pot and dropped it inside before burying it in compost and mud. It looked like it was comfortable with being under the mud as it stopped squirming about. "Everyone get into groups of four! Make sure that your earmuffs are properly fitted and be careful of the surrounding plants. Nobody wants to be horribly poisoned today now, do we?" Everyone shook their heads and made groups of four under a minute flat. "Alright then, plenty of Pots to go around"

Kiba chose to work with Neville, Dean and Fay, the latter of which did nothing but stare at Kiba as he and Neville worked on repotting the baby like plant. Dean stood by idlely since he was to disgusted to even touch it while he was wearing gloves. Kiba was impressed with Neville who, unlike in other subjects, showed exceptional skill in Herbology. He pinched the Mandrake's back to make it let go of Kiba's finger and then tapped it's forehead to stop it from resisting, Kiba helped him cover the root with mud and soil and they were the first excused from the lesson. The others watched them leave with little to no dirt on them while they were practically buried in it, and their Mandrake wasn't even in the pot yet.

"well done, Neville." Dean said placing his hand on the shoulder of the insecure boy "you looked like a pro in there"

"Thanks Dean," Neville said nervously

"he's right," Kiba added "i bet you could one day even replace sprout as Herbology professor" Neville's face turned red like a tomato at the praise he received.

"well I'm off, stuff to do" Dean said as he quickly dashed out of sight

"yeah, I've still got potions homework, I'll be in the common room" Neville sighed as he also began trotting off. Kiba stood alone in the hall, or so he thought

"uh, Kiba?" a girl behind him shyly

"yeah?" Kiba said turning around to face Fay who had seemingly followed him. She brushed a few of her brown hairs out of her face and put them behind her ear as she looked up at the boy

"i was wondering if you'd, um.. if you could help me, if you want of course" She said as her cheeks began heating up rapidly

"what with?" Kiba replied

"potions, it's not my best subject"

"yeah, okay why not.. I've got nothing to do until lunch" The two headed to the library and sat down at one off the tables, where to Kiba's surprise Hermione and Harry were already seated. Kiba sat down beside Hermione who looked slightly annoyed that Kiba had brought somebody else, but greeted him normally nonetheless. "Hermione, what are you drawing hearts on your timetable?" Kiba suddenly asked

"no reason" she shot back quickly

"Alright. No need to get angry" Kiba replied quickly

"don't you have fangirls to keep you busy?" Hermione hissed as she hid her timetable from view

"calm down, okay? Sorry, i didn't know you needed my attention that much" Hermione blushed visibly and quickly turned away

"i don't 'need your attention' you said that you wanted to work with somebody else" Hermione slammed her book shut and turned back to the Wizard

"fine. I'll work with you in every lesson from now" Kiba replied raising his shoulders slightly

"Alright, that sarcasm needs to go" Hermione said through gritted teeth, she was about to continue when the four were blinded by a bright flash and a squeaky voice that began to speak

"heya, I'm Collin Creevey! Do you mind if i take a picture of you for my album? I mean, another one, i know i already took one just now, but a second one can't hurtHow about it? Please?" Colin was breathless as he said all of that in under four seconds. Harry looked at him blankly, completely unaware of what was happening as did the others. The first year was elaborating quite quickly, about how he entered the school as he was a Muggle-born and how he learned everything about Harry, his birthday, the colour of his eyes, all of it.

"Thanks, i guess but no. I don't want to"

"please, just one good picture, you could even sign it"

"yeah, let's have Harry give out signed pictures, what could possibly go wrong?" Kiba began

"I-" Colin tried to intercept but Kiba kept going

"bloody brilliant that is, just fu-"

"watch it!" Hermione growled as she poked him with her elbow.

It took a while but eventually they managed to make Collin leave and got back to their work until lunchtime finally came. But Kiba was stopped just outside the great hall by Draco who handed him a thick handbook sized book, which was simply called 'Salazar Slytherin' he quickly thanked the blonde wizard and followed after the angry Hermione.

The anticipation of finding out what was written inside the book made Kiba eat quickly as he stuffed sausage after sausage into his mouth. When Hermione asked him why he was in such a rush he lied and said that something urgent came, and that it had nothing to do with Draco. As soon as his plate was clean and his goblet empty he jumped up and ran out the hall avid around the corner, up the stairs and straight into McGonagall. "Mr. Scamander, don't run through the halls like this" the Witch said quickly

"sorry Professor," Kiba apologized

"as it happens, our 'run in' is most opportune" McGonagall spoke "Professor Dumbledore requests that you visit his office tomorrow during lunch"

"i will, thank you Professor" Kiba said as he continued running for the Gryffindor common room. He sat down in one of the armchairs and opened the book he carried, and began reading.

'Salazar Slytherin…' he read for what felt like hours, but wasn't even half way into the book which made him worry if there was anything about the Heir in there. He had already been laying in bed while he read because of the students that started rushing into the common room after their lessons, he drifted off to sleep quickly and proceeded his reading between breakfast and his first lesson the next day. he flipped to the next page and had finally reached a chapter that peaked his interest

'Slytherins view…

Salazar Slytherin was of course one of the founders of Hogwarts. Together with Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, he forged the foundation of what Hogwarts is today.

But, a severe clash between Slytherin and the other founders was what ultimately lead to him leaving the school. Salazar believed that…'

Kiba looked at the watch that hung from his wrist and realized how the time had passed, he was late for his first DADA lesson. he burst in through the door and blurted out an apology which interrupted the teachers speech, and only then did he realize who it was. Gilderoy Lockhart. "Ah, Mr. Scamander, i was wondering when you'd show up. let's not make this a habit of being late, yes?"

"if you keep smiling like that, i just might" Kiba said under his breath "of course, sir" he added loudly

"there's a good lad" Lockhart replied, Kiba sat down next to Hermione who quickly rephrased everything that Lockhart had said when he wasn't there. "now, let's see how much you all know" Lockhart began rambling some nonsense as he handed out quiz papers. "Begin"

' _time to get some points back_ ' Kiba thought as he flipped the paper, confident that he would ace the test since he had read all of Lockhart's school books. But that is not what he found ' _what is Gilderoy Lockhart favourite colour? Favourite food? What is this, a quiz about himself?_ ' Kiba didn't seem to be the only one confused, as a matter of fact all of the boys were confused while the girls scribbled on their parchment, determined to show how much they knew Lockhart. Eventually, he began answering the questions so everyone could check if they had them correct. Hermione's quiz was flawless and every answer was correct, while Kiba sat there with two correct answers which he knew from the supply books. ' _whatever,_ ' Kiba thought _'i don't need to pay attention anyway, if a real quiz comes up I'll ace it anyway_ ' he grabbed the small handbook out of his bag and flipped back to the page he had been on earlier.

'Salazar believed that magic should be kept in all-wizard families, or in other words; Pure-Bloods. This had led to confrontations with the other founders, particularly Godric Gryffindor, which resulted in violent disagreements.

Many believe that Salazar Slytherin acted under prejudice towards the Muggle-born witches and wizards but others believed that he acted under caution, since Magical prosecution was prominent during that time. Alas, the arguments with the other founders were what led to Slytherin leaving the school for good, never to return. Salazar went into exile, and was never seen it heard of again, not has his body ever been found. However, a rumour spread through Hogwarts, a rumour that turned into a myth through the centuries that followed. The rumour that, before he left the school, Slytherin had build a hidden roo-'

"Hey!" Kiba was suddenly hit on the head by a book and looked around to see who had thrown it, but instead all he saw was chaos. Neville hung from the chandelier while Harry, Ron and Hermione were fighting of the Cornish Pixies that flew around the room. Everyone but they had fled the classroom in a panic, and Lockhart rushed back into his office with a final request for the four of them to 'nip the rest of them back into their cage' as he had said it.

Harry and Ron were protecting themselves with books while Hermione tried to hit the Pixies with harmless spells. Kiba ran over to Hermione and drew his wand as well "Hermione have you ever heard of the Freezing charm?" he asked, the girl nodded quickly as she created a gust of wind to blow away a few of the tiny blue creatures. They laughed menacingly due to the apparent weakness of the spell "together, 1… 2… 3!"

" _IMMOBULUS_ " they yelled out together sending a magic pulse across the entire room stopping all the Pixies, they floated through the air, unable to move anything but their eyes. Ron began collecting the Pixies that were close to the ground white the other three used the summoning charm to collect their others, and afterwards they made sure to get Neville down from the chandelier.

"why is it always me?" Neville said in a pitiful tone as he looked at his torn clothes. The Pixies had hung him by the collar of his robes and then proceeded to tear them as much as they could.

The rest of the day went better then that first lesson with Lockhart, but the annoyance of the man that came with his method of teaching stuck. With everybody. Many complained to their head of house, and called Lockhart a fraud. Especially the fifth, sixth and seventh years were furious, they of all students were to have important exams at the end of the year, but how could they prepare without proper teaching.

Lunchtime rolled around finally and Kiba headed for Dumbledore's office like he had promised McGonagall the previous day, he walked up to the Gargoyle statue, tapped hit with his was and spoke the password which allowed him to enter. The office was still the same from last year, including of course the magnificent Phoenix, Fawkes. Fawkes looked better then when Kiba had last seen him and greeted the young wizard with a respectful nod. "ah yes, Kiba. Please have a seat" Dumbledore said appearing at the top of the staircase like he'd done every time. "how good it is to see you again!"

"Hello, Professor" Kiba replied turning away from the Phoenix to sit down in the chair opposite to Dumbledore. The headmaster wasn't wearing his half-moon spectacles and his pointy hat was rested on the edge of the desk.

"i hope your first week had treated you well?"

"Mostly, yes. Allot of homework, especially in Potions and Transfigureation. But I'll manage, after all i did last year" Kiba replied, Dumbledore chuckled lightly which forced a smile on to Kiba's face.

"ah, how wonderful. How a young mind can grow" the old wizard said "you know, Professor Kettleburn told me there's a student sneaking into the reservoir for Care of Magical Creatures, you wouldn't happen to know who that is?" Kiba sensed in Dumbledore's word that he might know it was him. Kiba was visiting Lancelot almost daily, and tried to get acquainted with the other creatures as well but Kettleburn would always come back before he could.

"No sir," Kiba replied "though i think i understand the reason someone might do it. I'm really excited for Care of Magical Creatures next year"

"you really go take after your grandfather" Dumbledore said with a smile "you might even be able to meet him one day"

"Maybe…" Kiba sighed "May i be excused? I've got allot of work"

"of course, study hard! I can see you passing your N.E.W.T.'s with outstanding grades"

"Thank you Professor, it was nice talking to you" Kiba left the office and headed for the common room and then his dorm. He rummaged through his bag to find the book he was longing to read and flopped into his bed. ' _where was i?_ '

'Slytherin had build a secret room which was named, The Chamber of Secrets. The Chamber was a testament to those that belonged to his bloodline. It was said that it could only be opened by his heir and his heir alone, using their heritage as a key. Slytherin tasked his heir to open the Chamber of Secrets, and to use the very mystery that he left behind to cleanse the school of those who, in his eyes, were unworthy to study magic. What lies inside the chamber has remained unknown to all, but speculation has said that Slytherin planted a beast of such terrible nature, that only his heir can control it.

However, there has been no attacks within the school since his time away from Hogwarts, proving that the Chamber of Secrets will remain a myth. Furthermore, the school has been searched several times and boo such chamber was found.

If the legend of the Chamber of Secrets is true however, then students and staff can only hope that Slytherin's heir doesn't find it'

' _I must find the Chamber. What ever lays inside belongs to me… It's my birthright_ '

\--

 **A/n: OMG... this chapter took me so long to write, i am still a bit unsure how i want CoS to play out but if got some ideas, stay tuned.. Kiba might just discover something incredible soon.**

 **Ps: Review and Serbs in your OCs**

 **PEACE**


	16. Chapter 16: It's my Birthright

Chapter 16: It's my Birthright

The first month of school was passing and Kiba spent most of his free time searching for the Chamber of Secrets. He barely tried when he did his homework, paid little to no attention in class because his mind would constantly wander off thinking of the vast halls, corridors and rooms of Hogwarts where he might did the hidden Chamber. But there was always a little something that sparked a weird fear in his mind. What if the entrance to the Chamber was inside the Slytherin common room?

"Kiba!" Hermione once again snapped her fingers in front of Kiba's face, this calling him back to reality. They were sitting in they library with a group of Gryffindor Girls and boys. it was Thursday, which ment allot of free time to do homework and assignments, but Kiba wasn't doing anything… he sat there almost falling asleep "Hey!" Hermione snapped her fingers once more "you've been dozing off allot lately, are you not feeling well?" Hermione leaned over the library table and placed her hand on his forehead

"I'm feeling fine, don't worry" Kiba replied gently removing her hand "just don't really want to work right now"

"are you sure that you're okay? You of all people not doing his homework?" Hermione questioned him

"I'll do it later, it's homework until next week" Kiba said standing up, "I'm taking a little walk"

"where are you going?" Harry asked

"i don't know, somewhere where i can clear my head" without another word Kiba began walking aimlessly through the castle and through the grounds. Kiba was frustrated, he hadn't learned anything about the Chamber of Secret except what the book said about it, and he was as close to finding it as at the start.. which means not close at all. Kiba had also taken to searching at night while no other students could catch or distract him, except Filch. Filch had caught him three times already but every time he managed to somehow miraculously escape him at some point, but since then Filch had begun keeping a close eye on him and his friends, and he had most likely passed on what he suspected to Snape, McGonagall and the other head of houses. But that didn't stop the ambitious Gryffindor and his nightly search, again and again he snuck out but never found anything worthwhile.

Kiba found himself ascending the staircase that spiralled around a tower, which led to the Owlery on top. He didn't know why but his feet had led him there, he entered the lower part of the Owlery and then proceeded up the last set of stairs to where all the owls sat. There was a giant pool of water in the middle of a stone formation from which they could drink and little sacks of seeds hung from nails on the wall. An owl screeched behind him and dropped a package into his arms and landed by the water fountain. "is this for me?" Kiba asked aloud

'for Kiba Scamander' the black owl hooted back. Kiba smiled, how curious that he'd receive a package, he put the package under his arm and pulled of the attached letter. He looked around one more time to see if his Phoenix owl, Kuzon, had returned with a letter from Faye but he was nowhere in sight. He made his way down the spiral staircase of the tower and headed for the common room as he read the letter.

'Dear Kiba,

Draco told me your birthday is on the 8th of October so i thought i'd send you a little something from your past. You see, i knew your father, we were well acquainted and he left his diary in my possession. He asked me to give it to his child.

His diary contains stories and memories of his past, from his time in Hogwarts and a few years after his graduation.

A happy birthday,

Lucius Malfoy'

' _my father's diary? Awesome!_ ' Kiba quickly opened the parcel and saw the contents. The book was black but the edges were slightly ripped and the parchment was old, the diary looked more like a fossil then a book. He grabbed the book and held what belonged to his father, he felt something on the back of the book that wasn't it's black leather cover, he flipped it over and saw a name written in golden letters ' _Tom Marvolo Riddle… seems like my parents weren't married. Maybe my father doesn't even know i exist_ ' he opened the first pages of the book and to his surprise, they were empty. He flipped through the entire book but there wasn't a single word written on any of them, not even a drop of ink. "so much for stories and memories" Kiba sighed, he dropped the diary into his nightstand drawer and dropped face first onto his bed.

" _Slytherins heir…_ "

" _No, not you aga-_ Slytherins heir!" Kiba jumped up from his bed ' _if I'm Slytherin's heir then so must have been one of my parents… my mom was a Hufflepuff so my father must also be… maybe if i find out more about my father!_ ' Kiba ran as fast as he could towards Dumbledore's office. He spoke the password, ascended the stairs and knocked on the door. He waited for a moment and then the door slowly swung open but the study was empty, the upstairs was dark as ever but Dumbledore didn't appear at the top of the stairs. Kiba was puzzled, Dumbledore usually remained in his study but it was empty. Kiba thought hard trying to figure out who in the school could tell him about Tom Riddle and one name popped into his head ' _Snape_ '

"excuse me, Professor?" Kiba said politely after knocking on the door to Snape's office,

"what is it, Scamander?"

"I've just got a question about a Hogwarts student who used to be in Slytherin" Kiba replied, Snape placed his book down and focused on the boy

"why ask me? Dumbledore would surely know more then me" Snape said

"well yes, but he's not in his office. Besides, you're head of Slytherin house, it's worth a shot"

"very well, make it quick I've got potions to prepare"

"of course, i was wondering if the name Tom Riddle rings any bells" Kiba said, snape's eyes widened and his eyebrows raised slightly.

"I know the name," Snape began "however, you should ask the headmaster. That name was before my time" Kiba saw in his eyes that he knew something, something that scared him even but if Snape wanted to keep a secret not even a truth potion would make him spill it..

' _maybe I'll have to invent a truth potion to make him tell me_ ' Kiba thought, he left the room and headed for the great hall. It was about time for dinner anyways.

"speak of the devil" Ron said as Kiba sat down beside Hermione "we've been wondering what's on your mind"

"oh, it's nothing. don't worry" Kiba said half heartedly, Ron seemed to accept that answer but Harry and Hermione shared a quick look

"you'll come watch me practice tomorrow, right?" Harry asked excitedly

"is Quidditch practice starting tomorrow?" Ron asked

"yeah, we've got our first match in two days. Saturday"

"two days? shouldn't you have started practice a week ago then?" Kiba asked with a mouthful of potatoes

"The pitch was booked for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff" Harry answered "Hufflepuff is playing Slytherin tomorrow, so we're –"

"Ravenclaw" Hermione replied "it'll be interesting seeing you and Cho face off, you are the best seekers in the school"

"you'll come too, right Kiba?" Harry asked, he knew Ron was coming no matter what and Hermione always comes to watch Harry train, but Harry wasn't sure about Kiba. It really seemed like his friendship with Draco had driven them apart a bit.

"yeah, I'll be there. But i can't stay too long, Professor McGonagall asked me to help her and i said I'd do it" Kiba replied, making up a plausible story as quickly as he could. In reality he was gong to search for the Chamber again, and he wasn't going to stop until he searched every creak and crevasse of the castle, from the lowest dungeon to the highest tower and the teachers chambers if he had to.

That night Kiba sat at the table near the bookshelves in the Gryffindor commonroom. His feather was hastily scraping over the parchment before him, from his shoulder his owl, Kuzon, curiously observed his writing. Meanwhile Hotaru was sound asleep by the fireplace, on the red armchair. Kiba folded the parchment and stuck it into an envelope which he, together with a second one, handed to Kuzon. "this one goes to Mister Malfoy," Kiba said holding out the first "and this one goes to Faye"

'I'll get it done,' the owl hooted enthusiastically as it took the envelopes into its beak and flew off, through the open window. The owl sure had changed, it had been sceptic about Kiba's reason for buying him and was generally pessimistic towards anything he didn't know about, but he had warmed up to Kiba and his friends, and especially Hotaru. Kiba grabbed the diary that lay beside him and left the common room through the portrait hole.

He walked, as silently as he could along the halls and corridors of Hogwarts, checking any rooms he hadn't yet in hopes of finding a clue to the Chamber. He didn't doubt the chambers existence, in his mind every myth had its roots in the truth, he truly believed that Salazar Slytherin had left something behind for his heir, and his heir only.

'caught you again' Kiba heard a feminine hiss behind him as he opened the door to a classroom 'just my luck' Kiba didn't have to turn his head to know that a pair of red eyes were stareing daggers into him, it was Mrs. Norris no doubt. She began furiously meowing for Filch who arrived just a second later, his face was dimly lit by the moonlight but the smile that formed on his face was recognizable.

"you're not getting away this time" Filch spat as he grabbed the boy by the collar and dragged him to his office. He pushed Kiba inside and slammed the door shut behind himself. He pushed his way past the wizard and snatched the diary from his hand "what have you stolen, eh?"

"i haven't stolen anything, that's mine. I'd appreciate it if you keep your filthy hands off" Kiba snarled. The caretaker obviously didn't care for the boy's tone as he grabbed him by the wrist and slapped a metal cuff around it, he did the same to his other wrist and tried to also shackle his ankles but Kiba fought back with all his might. Kiba tried to reach his wand but Filch got to Kiba's ear first and retrieved the wand, placing it next to the diary on his desk.

"Professor McGonagall might fire me for this, but it will be worth it…" Filch snarled as her left the room. As soon as the door closed he began struggling to break free, he pulled at the shackles in the hope of them being rusty so they would eventually fall apart or break, but to no avail. All he did was hurt his wrists, he cursed every time he did and he could see them reden from his struggle.

' _damn, no wand this time and no Hotaru_ ' Kiba thought but then a new idea popped into his mind ' _Wandless magic!_ ' The book Kiba bought at Borgin and Burkes had an entire ten pages on Wandless magic but Kiba hadn't tried it before. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on his right hand and then the shackles that held them " _Alohomora_ "

" _Alohomora_ "

" _Alohomora! Alohomora!_ " He tried and tried again and again but nothing happened the shackles remained,

 **CLING**

With a loud noise the shackle opened and Kiba's right hand was free, he reached for his wand on the desk but couldn't reach it no matter how far he stretched. He thought he could try the summoning charm on it, or he could use the unlocking charm on the second shackle also but it was to late. With an earpiercing creak the door to the office opened. Kiba saw Filch's nasty smile fade as he saw the boy escaping again. "Mister Filch, why is Mister Scamander bound to the wall?! Explain yourself"

"The lads been sneaking around at night mam, caught him stealing this time" Filch said holding out the diary to McGonagall.

"The only one stealing is you, you take my diary and then my wand" Kiba spat at the caretaker who stared him dead in the eyes. Kiba was resisting the urge to kick our punch the old caretaker and painfully clenched his fists and suddenly his left hand was free to, he turned to look at the shackle which was slowly melting away into nothingness. McGonagall didn't seem to have seen it, her eyes were fixed on the diary, more specifically on the name written in golden ink.

"Mister Filch, please return Mister Scamanders wand," Kiba grabbed his wand from Filch's hands quickly and the diary from McGonagall's avid headed for the door "you'd best be in bed by the time i check the common room Kiba" McGonagall said sternly. "I'll have to inform the headmaster about this" she added silently towards Filch.

Kiba felt like jumping as he returned to the common room, he didn't find the Chamber but Filch had done wrong by him and was going to receive punishment. Maybe Dumbledore would take away his Cat, or fire him. Whatever, Kiba happily jumped into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Luchtime rolled around the next day, and since Kiba told Hermione that he wasn't hungry he wandered around aimlessly still searching for clues, he had however promised to attend Harry's training today. He made his way to the common room to meet up with the trio and found Harry hiding behind Ron, away from Colin. "come on Harry, let the boy take a picture!" Kiba said leaning against the fireplace frame. Harry quickly looped around and hid behind Kiba

"He wants me to sign them afterwards" Harry whispered

"this is even better, a picture of Harry and his Sidekick" Colin squeaked "and you can both sign it! it's just for my yearbook"

' _Sidekick?_ ' Kiba thought, the first year raised his camera but all he saw through the lens was Kiba's deadly stare. He paused and hiss entire body tensed and he slowly lowered his Camera,

"maybe some other time…" he said, the cheerful and ecstatic tone had disappeared and was replace by what you might call fear, and Colin no longer sounded so annoying but that didn't last, Harry suddenly broke into a run and jumped through the portrait hole with Colin behind him asking questions as he chased him. He almost fell as he left through the hole but managed to stay on his feet as he closed the portrait. Kiba couldn't help but laugh at the scene that hat played out infront of him and he soon joined Hermione and Ron in the high seats at the Quidditch pitch. Hermione watched Harry soar through the clear sky while Ron constantly stopped Colin from taking any pictures, meanwhile Kiba scribbled in his notebook where he had mapped out what places he had searched for the Chamber, and which he still needed to.

"have you thought about next year's classes? it's been on my mind for a while," Hermione suddenly began "i was thinking of taking Arithmacy or Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle studies because they'll be easier for me. But there's also Devination, it seems a bit like hokus pokus to me though.. Kiba?"

"yeah, I'm listening" they boy replied not looking up from his book

"are you? you've been distracted lately…"

"i heard everything you said" the wizard replied slightly irritated "and yes, it had crossed my mind on multiple occasions" he added

"what are you even writing there?" Hermione asked leaning over to get a peek at the notebook

"nothing…" Kiba said quickly snapping the book shut so Hermione's peering eyes couldn't catch a thing "stuff…" he added

"oh no…" Ron suddenly said

"what is it?" Hermione and Kiba asked in unison.

"Trouble…" Ron replied pointing down to the field and sure enough there saw what he was pointing at. A group of black clothed students walked on the pitch with majestic black brooms, the emerald features on their robes made it obvious which house they belonged to, Slytherin.

The three quickly made their way down the wooden steps and onto the pitch with Colin in tow. Apparently, Snape had given the Slytherin team special permition to practice because they had acquired a new seeker. When Wood, the Gryffindor captain, asked who the new seeker is the Slythetin's split apart to let none other then Draco walk through with a nasty smirk. "Surprised? I wouldn't be, this really is happening" he said "then again, i would've been on the team last year if the rules hadn't restricted me" he added with a look of disgust towards Harry. "but I'm not all that's new" Draco said showing off the sleek black brooms that the team had acquired

"those are Nimbus-twothousand-and-ones!" Ron pointed out "how'd you get those"

"courtesy of Draco's father" the Slytherin captain, Flint, replied with a smile that showed his nasty and rotting teeth.

"helps when you have wealth on your side, huh Weasley?" Draco said "but you wouldn't know"

"shut your mouth Malfoy" Ron stammered weakly

"what could your father buy you?" Draco asked sarcastically. Kiba quickly stopped Ron from lunging at the blonde wizard, "hey Kiba, sorry about the early birthday gift. My father never listens properly to me" Kiba found feel the piercing eyes of every Gryffindor stab into him like daggers, but he didn't care. The situation on the pitch was rapidly getting out of hand and it would only take a little push to tip the glass.

"The pitch is ours, Wood. So take your little kittens and clear off, the big Dogs are practicing now" Flint called out as he began hovering on his broom with a nasty grin.

"you watch your mouth Flint, or I'll punch out the rest of your rotten teeth" Wood shouted back but then reluctantly left with the Gryffindor team, Hermione, Kiba, Ron and Colin in tow. Kiba breathed a sigh of relief but then Draco came running towards them calling out to him, and the moment of relief was short lived.

"Kiba! Hey, wait up!" he shouted "listen, my father –" Draco began, Kiba had adored and turned to face him and Hermione and Ron stayed by his side in an attempt to stare Draco away. "do you mind?"

"we do actually" Ron snarled as he turned to leave, Hermione grabbed Kiba by the wrist and tried to pull him along but he forced his hand free and looked at the girl questioning

"what are you doing?" he asked, Ron had already disappeared from view along with the Gryffindor Quidditch team "go on, I'll be right there. Just a minute"

"No, WE should go. He's only going to say something mean" Hermione pleaded

"Just…" Kiba began, causing Hermione to take a step back. The boy turned back to Draco "make it quick, I've got studying to do"

"Sure thing! So my Father wanted to –" Draco stopped when he saw Hermione coming closer again "didn't Kiba tell you to go?" he snarled

Hermione was overstepping the line quickly now and it didn't sit well with either of the boys. She had to put herself in check our things could go really wrong, really really wrong.

"Piss off, Malfoy" Hermione suddenly said. Kiba was taken aback by her choice of words, was that really Hermione?

"How dare you speak like that to me, disgusting mudblood!" Draco shot back. The expression on Hermione's face said everything, how hard that instil had hit her. Kiba knew what a mudblood is but he didn't expect to hear anyone say it in Hogwarts. The rest of the Gryffindors had wondered where they were avid returned just in time to hear Draco say what he did.

Kiba grabbed Draco by his collar and shook him hard "you take that back Draco! Take it back!" he clenched his first, he could and was going to hit Draco but Flint stepped inbetween and pushed Kiba off and went for a punch. Kiba quickly grabbed his wand and pointed it at the older student who looked shocked, maybe even scared for a split second but Hermione pulled his hand to the side a bit and shook her head lightly as she looked into his eyes.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before joyful laughter caught their attention, Flint immediately went over to the huddled group of chuckling Slytherins. Kiba sighed and placed his wand back behind his ear and afterwards joined the huddle but they all broke apart taking multiple steps away from Ron who was down on all fours.

Kiba crouched down beside the redhead to check if he was okay but all he got was a load of slime and slugs dumped on his shoes. "Slug vomiting?" Kiba muttered under his breath "who did this?" he asked loudly looking towards the Slytherins, and Malfoy who he suspected of using the spell.

"The idiot did it to himself" one of the Slytherins replied making the whole team burst into laughter again. Kiba growled in frustration, he wanted to blame them for something more then just provoking them. Heck, Ron could be punished for trying to use a spell on another student out of class and Slytherin could continue laughing.

"let's go to Hagrid's" Harry suggested, Kiba nodded and the two boys pulled Ron onto his feet and swung his arms around them.

"wait! Let me take a picture!" Colin squeaked raising his Canberra in front of them.

"No Colin, get out of the way!" Harry snarled at the boy. Frankly Kiba wanted to do much more then snarl, he wanted to take that annoying camera and blast it to pieces. But Ron was a priority now, so he came first. They reached the hut on the edge of the Forrest and Hermione knocked on the heavy wooden door. Hagrid swung the door open with a giant smile but the four quickly pushed past him and practically threw Ron into one of the giant chairs. Hermione grabbed an empty bucket and gave it too Ron who immediately burped up a stomach full of slugs.

"who did this ter you, Ron?" Hagrid asked, fearing that another student had cursed Ron.

"Ron tried to curse Malfoy," Harry said

"why would yer try ter use a broken wand, Ron? They aren't save ter use" Ron tried to answer but all that came out were more slugs. It look painful, judging by Ron's groans and whimpers. Kiba looked away and walked over to the window to look outside.

"it's there anyway we can stop this Hagrid?" Hermione asked nervously patting Rons back.

"nothin' ter do but wait 'till it stops, I'm afraid" Hagrid replied with a heavy sigh

"Hagrid, what was Lockhart doing here?" Harry suddenly asked. When they had made their way to the hut, the came across the teacher.

"He wanted ter help me catch kelpies in a pond! A Pond!" Hagrid said laughing loudly

"I'm sure he was just trying to help, he probably ment well" Hermione said, her faith in the goodness of Lockhart not wavering. "besides, Dumbledore hired him so he can't be that bad" she added softly

"Nonsense! Look me in the eyes and tell me there was no one better then 'im" Hagrid replied "I think that any student at this school could do It better then Lockhart, Kiba four instance, no one knew as many spells as he does at his age. But it's mostly bin like this, teachers coming in and out. Defence Against the Dark Arts is a strange post to take up, these days.. So, why'd you try to curse somebody with your broken wand, Ron? Must've had a good reason."

"Draco," Kiba said from the window darkly, he crossed his arms and sighed audibly. "He called her a.. Mudblood…"

"He did not!" Hagrid nearly shouted in disbelief, the little that was visible off his face grew red with anger "He should be expelled for that!"

"what's a Mudblood?" Harry suddenly asked "judging by everyone's reaction, nothing good" Ron tried to speak but instead all he did was burp up more slugs.

"it means dirty blood" Hermione said standing up, she took a few steps away from Ron and Harry and looked out another window of the hut "it's a very faul name for someone who's muggle-born. Someone with non-magical parents, someone like me." She continued turning back to them "it's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation"

"i still don't quite understand" Harry said, seeing Hermione visibly upset

"there are some wizard families, like the Malfoys, who think of themselves higher because they are what you call Pure-bloods" Hagrid said with a hint of spite in his voice, he turned his attention to Hermione and held his hand out to her.

"so, Blood status doesn't mean a single thing?! Look at you, Hermione. You're a Muggle-born yet you're better than Malfoy. He couldn't do half the things you can in class, i'm sure of it." Harry stated. Hermione smiled as she went a bit red.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Hagrid held her tiny hands in his immensely large ones. All anger had been replaced by sincerity and ease. "yer don't ever, and I mean EVER, think that yer are lower than anyone else. Yer are a brilliant, smart young girl who could take on the entire world if she could. Yer are amazing, yer hear me? Amazing!" Hermione went into a deeper shade of red as she smiled at Hagrids encouragement. Kiba was still not looking but slightly admired that Hagrid did not have a single bad bone in his body. He tapped against the window, looking at the larger than usual pumpkins that were growing in Hagrid's garden. He felt like a traitor, being friends with Draco. Well, they were friends. Kiba was going to cut off all ties with him, no way was he going to be friends with him again.

They stayed in the hut until Ron stopped puking slugs and afterwards headed back towards the castle. Kiba promised Hermione that he would cut off his ties to Draco and avoid him whenever he can. Harry and Ron received detention from McGonagall on their way to lunch. Ron had to polish the trophies on Friday and Harry had to help none other then Lockhart to answer his fan mail. Later that evening Kiba had suddenly felt sentimental and he began to scribble into his father's diary.

He began writing about Draco and what he had said to Hermione when the ink began disappearing from the pages. Suddenly, new words formed where he had written previously. 'Hello, my name is Tom Riddle' Kiba dipped his feather into his ink and replied with his own name. 'it's a pleasure to meet you Kiba. If you don't mind me asking, how did you come by this diary?'

"it was given to me, it belonged to my father" Kiba wrote on the parchment,

'so you are my child. I presume you are at Hogwarts? Have you done your duty?'

"my duty?"

'yes, your duty as my heir, as His heir?'

"No. I have yet to find the Chamber"

'let me show you!'

The pages of the diary began flipping to one further back avid the binding began to illuminate in a brilliant glow. He felt the light touch him and then drag him, right into the diary. Everything when dark and Kiba lost all sense of orientation.

\--

 **AN** : well damn, this chapter ended up being longer then i wanted to, and took me way to long to finish. well i was kinda stressed out and experienced a slight case of writers block but i think it's gone now, I'll be working hard to get the next chapter out as soon as possible! Review!


	17. Chapter 17: The Beast Below

Chapter 17: The Beast Below

Kiba slowly opened his eyes. He was still in the Gryffindor common room, but nearly all colour had disappeared, everything seemed gray and desaturated. Kiba stood up from the chair he sat in and spotted a newspaper by the fireplace and rushed over. He picked it up and checked the date ' _I'm in the past? What is happening?_ '

He quickly left the common room and headed for the great hall but on his way there a girl ran past him crying, a girl he hadn't seen before. Infect it seems like the girl could neither see nor hear him. He followed her to the second floor bathroom and she ran inside shutting the door. Kiba didn't know what to do, so he waited and suddenly out came a boy. A handsome boy that strongly resembled Kiba, only with a stronger jawline. He poked his head out and then quietly slipped out of the bathroom.

Kiba felt his body being pulled back hard and he was once again in the chair in the common room with his head rested on the table. Hermione was the one shaking him awake from his dream, only it didn't feel like a dream. Kiba looked at the diary and saw no writing whatsoever, not his and not Tom's. "are you all right Kiba?" Hermione asked the boy

"think so, just tired" Kiba replied with a yawn "i might just go to bed now"

"okay. I'll be down here with Harry and Ron, Goodnight"

"Goodnight, 'mione" Kiba ascended the staircase and entered the dormitory, he dropped the diary on his nightstand and fell face first onto his bed and was fast asleep immediately.

However, his sleep wasn't peaceful, it was far from it. Images flashed through his mind like thunder during a storm. He saw the face of a girl in tears, her robes adorned the Ravenclaw colours. But as suddenly as she had appeared in his mind, she disappeared. Kiba once again saw the door to the girls bathroom in the second floor, but this time he entered the room. It was somewhat circular with an isle of cubicles leading to the side, in the middle of the round room were a set of sinks along with mirrors. A loud audible sobbing could be heard from one of the cubicles but Kiba ignored it and headed for the sinks. He looked into the mirror and saw, not himself, but that boy again, the one that resembled him. He looked at him through the mirror and began smiling and then laughing, louder and louder he laughed and sounding crazier by the second. Kiba stared in horror as the face of his reflection began to change, the smooth black hair on his head fell out of sight and his skin turned scaly. The colour of the eyes changed to a dark red, His lips dried out and grew smaller until they were nearly non-existent and his nose pulled back into his skull leaving only small slits behind.

Kiba remembered the face, His face. His reflection raised its hand and reached through the mirror and afterwards moved through it himself. Kiba heard a loud hiss from one of the cubicles but when he turned to look he saw nothing but a body on the floor, and the deformed, snakelike face of Voldemort was gone. The body was that of the crying girl, Kiba knealed down to inspect her and then heard a deadly hiss beside his ear and hot breath on his neck. He turned to look but all he saw was a great yellow eye.

Kiba shot upright breathing heavily. He looked around and saw, not the common room, but the second floor bathroom. The floor was wet and had drenched his clothes, he stood up and felt his wand in his pocket and something else, in his hand. "why do i have the diary?" The book was slightly wet but not damaged Kiba sighed and looked towards the sinks. He walked over and turned them off to stop the flooding and spotted an odd one out. One of the sinks had a snake engraved on the tap which wound in an S shape. He traced it with his finger and suddenly felt a strange sensation from the book.

' _Is this another dream? can't be_ ' Kiba thought, he could feel the cold tiles beneath his wet feet, and the sound of the dropping water was as normal as it could be. He looked into the mirror and saw himself, his red hair, his pyjamas and the small scar on his chin. ' _since when do i have this?_ ' he asked himself touching the scar he had never seen before.

But the book was still giving him a strange feeling, no matter how real it all felt. ' _open it!'_ he heard a familiar voice his. Without another word or thought he touched the engraved snake on the tap and spoke in parsel.

"The heir has returned" The room vibrated and the sinks rumbled as they began moving, the top lifted up and rose towards the ceiling and the sinks circled around a giant hole before dropping into the ground. A metal grill covered each one to create a walkable surface and allow access to the giant hole. "is this it? The Chamber of Secrets?" Kiba asked aloud but received no response "well, only one way to find out. Geronimo." All he heard was his last word as it echoed through the pipe while he jumped down.

The pipe twisted and turned at violent corners, it's slime reducing the friction between the boy and the pipe itself, sending him faster and faster downwards. As he raced deeper down the school, he could see diverging tunnels that looked smaller than the main one, probably going off to the other parts of the castle. Ultimately it ended sending Kiba rolling along a cold floor of bones and stone. At that moment Kiba wished her had worn his shoes to bed that night.

" _Lumos_ " Kiba said retrieving his wand and lighting the room. He was still with his back on the floor so he would accidentally step on something and impale his feet in the dark. The Parselmouth slowly and carefully made his way through the bones scattered on the floor and walked along a long path until he reached a metal door. The metal door was decorated with seven serpents which were aligned in such a way that their bodies touched on the left hand center of the door but spread out towards the right, every head reaching a different edge then the others.

Kiba figured that the door was locked and felt the diary again, he didn't even realise that he had held on to it all this time. "Open" he spoke in Parsel instinctively. An eighth serpent appeared at the bottom of the door and began making its way around the edge of the door causing the other serpent heads to retract a bit to let it pass, and once it had reached the top it stopped. The door rumbled and then, with loud cracking and noise, it swung open.

Kiba was presented with a hallway which had giant statues of snake heads on both sides sticking out of the water beside the path, at the very end the Room formed into an half oval shape with a gigantic head of stone sticking out of the water in it's center. Kiba could hear dripping all through the hallway and the oval room, and concluded that he was underneath a lake. But where was the monster, where was the great mystery that the founder of Hogwarts had left for him.

'Ahh, blood' Kiba suddenly heard a low hiss 'Fresh blood, Pure blood' the incredibly deep hiss grew louder as Kiba approached the stone head.

"who's there?" Kiba asked trying to figure out what wether a spell made the statue talk or something else, Though Kiba figured that there was a creature hidden inside, just like the book had said.

'Slytherin blood… My blood!' The unidentified voice hissed once more ignoring the boys question. Suddenly the mouth of the statue opened and out shot something as fast as a golden snitch, so fast that Kiba couldn't even see it's face, all he saw was the green and scaly tail of a gigantic snake. 'do not turn, do not look' it hissed into Kiba's ear. He froze in place, unable to move a muscle.

"what are you?" Kiba asked with a quiver in his voice

'you reek off muggle' the snake hissed 'yet so pure. Slytherin should be proud to have you among them'

"I'm not in Slytherin," Kiba replied "I'm a Gryffindor" the snake let out a strongly dissatisfied hiss

'then how do you carry his blood?'

"my father, surely you've met him" Kiba said "He said he was the last to open the Chamber"

'i remember all my masters, however none were as pure as he was. He awoke me after i had slept for a long, long time'

"yes, and i carry his blood and i have come to command you once again"

'then what is it you ask of me, Master?'

"What are you?"

'I am the great Basilisk of the hidden Chamber, my purpose is to cleanse this school' Kiba felt a devilish smile creep onto his face

"well, i hope you thir- arghh!" He stopped mid sentence and yelled out in pain. Brought to his knees, the boys screams filled the hidden chamber as the basilisk loomed over him, unsure as to why its master began to cry in pain. He felt that feeling return, that pain which he had been experiencing since he murdered Quirrell. That unbearable feeling of being torn in half. He tried to get onto his feet but crashed to ther floor again pushing the oxygen that remained in his lungs out and causing him to start losing his consciousness. The giant snake lowered its head and stuck out is tongue to smell the boy again, he was undoubtedly a descendant of Slytherin but there was more, something deep and strong…

'i was chosen for my power, for i am. Power' The Snake hissed as it slithered back to the statue 'soon, the purge will begin…' as his eyes began to close he could make out the snake looking at him again before slithering back into the statue through its mouth.

Kiba's eyes shot open and he quickly sat upright. He was in his four poster bed and drenched in his own sweat, and as always his curtains were shut, he felt something on his lap and saw the diary. It almost scared him that he'd fallen asleep with it so close to him. ' _was i dreaming? it felt so real…_ ' Kiba could still feel the cold and wet stone floor underneath his feet and the image of the giant snake was burned into his memory. But how could he be sure that he wasn't dreaming? Maybe the diary had shown him where the chamber is through his dream? No matter what it was he had to get up and check but the pain in his chest stopped him. As he rubbed his chest caressingly, Kiba cycled the same question inside his head vigorously, desperate for an answer. ' _was that real?_ '

He fed his brain the same question over and over again but received negative results. He had no idea if all of that was real. He opened the Chamber of Secrets on that night, he really did. But all of it felt too real, too fast. Kiba tried to recollect everything, piece by piece, and resisted the strain across his upper body. "There was the bathroom... and the sinks in the middle. That was where I went through... right. A big pipe... bones? A-and... a door, that's it! A door! With snakes! And behind it was... the Chamber and... the monster which was a... a..." Kiba rubbed his chest as the pain grew too strong for him to focus. He couldn't recall everything, only the sinks, the snake door and the diary that was on his bed. But when he picked it up it was nothing like it had been in his dream, the indescribable feeling wasn't there. It simply felt like an old book, as it should.

Kiba suddenly realized that he had been talking aloud and quickly poked his had out from his bed but the room was empty, as were all the beds. He tossed the diary under his bed and scrambled through his nightstand drawer in search for his watch. He found it and was shocked to see he had missed breakfast, but he could still make it to potions in time. He hurried and put on his robes, grabbed his bag and ran from the common room.

He hurried down the corridors and into the dungeon and into the potions classroom just before snape arrived. Hermione shot him a look of confusion from her seat in the first row but Kiba dismissed it, he would simply tell her that he slept in and that's that. Snape strode into the classroom with quick steps just as Kiba sat down and stopped once he reached the front. He flicked his wand towards the blackboard and names began appearing, the first names Kiba spotted were Harry and Hermione and afterwards Crabbe and Neville. Ron's name appeared with Goyle's and at the very end his own together with Draco's. "from now on, until the end of this year you will be partnered to create your potions" Snape said "open your books to page fourty-six and begin"

Kiba was annoyed and frankly didn't want to partner with Draco at all, especially after what he had said to Hermione. Reluctantly he got up and headed over to Draco who was already sitting at the table with his cauldron. He could see in Hermiones expression that she pitied him with every glance but Kiba was more worried about Ron and Neville who had been partnered with Draco's idiots. "It's only natural," Draco suddenly said "he put the two best together"

"what Harry and Hermione?" Kiba replied knowing full well that Draco ment the two of them. "yeah, i guess it was kind of obvious"

"No, i meant you and me" Draco replied opening his book

"me? I'm not that great at potions" Kiba added

"nonsense, who here, in this room is better in potions then the two of us?" Draco asked sarcastically

"well for starters definitely Snape," Kiba said with a smug smile, "then there's Harry and Fay, and definitely Hermione"

"Hermione?!" Draco spat "How dare you say that a Mu-"

"Mister Malfoy," Snape said suddenly towering over Draco "i haven't seen you add ingredients to your potion, are you letting Mister Scamander do it on his own? Open your book to page fourty-six!" with a menacing flick of his wand he opened Draco's book to the right page and walked off.

"you listen to me carefully now, Malfoy." Kiba suddenly began, he dropped a dry nettle into the cauldron and stared at Draco as he stirred the potion "if you ever, and i mean EVER, even think about calling Hermione by that name again, i won't hesitate to curse you" Draco swallowed hard and nodded silently "now, if you want to get some points in this class i suggest that you prepare the bat spleens"

Draco quickly got up and headed over to the ingredients shelf.

"now that all of your are brewing your own swelling solution," Snape began "you can surely tell me which ingredient drastically changes the potion" Kiba was to busy stareing at Draco as he drowned himself in deep thoughts to listen to the question and Snape was forced to pick Hermione.

"by adding too many dry nettles sir," Hermione said "it changes the swelling solution into a dangerous skin poison"

"correct. Five points to Gryffindor" Snape said reluctantly "it is named a skin poison because it's vapour alone can melt your skin off of your bone, let alone if you spill it over yourself or drink it. The outcome would be death within minutes"

The lesson carried on with the strong tension between the Parselmouth and Draco lingering. When the bell rung through the halls and Snape had assigned homework Kiba was about ready to leave but he was stopped by the potions Professor. "Mister Scamander," he said "i couldn't help but notice that you missed breakfast today, you're not skipping any classes are you?" Kiba didn't respond and only lightly shook his head. Snape most definitely knew he snuck around at night "well, maybe you should try to head to bed earlier" Snape said. With a simple wave of his hand he ordered Kiba to leave but he spoke one more time before Kiba was out of the room entirely "perhaps you should also **stay** in bed at night" He added. For Kiba this ment allot, not only did Snape know he snuck around at night but he had most definitely seen him do it.

"yes, Professor" Kiba said silently and closed the door. He walked along the corridors and towards the staircases to reach the Transfigureration classroom, but as he passed a certain bathroom he heard something. Something that sounded like hissing. It stopped him dead in his tracks and caused him to turn his head to stare at the old door. But he managed to look away quickly and proceeded down the hall, all the while the hissing grew quiet in his mind as he walked.

Halloween was nearing, and because of the added stress by mountains of homework Kiba had forgotten to search for the Chamber of Secrets almost entirely. Almost.. He'd dream of finding it every night but he didn't know which bathroom it was that the Chamber supposedly lay underneath. Maybe the stress was causing the dreams, why would the chamber be underneath a bathroom? Since autumn had come around the days grew darker quickly and Filch had been on his feet constantly. Halloween was the time around which the Weasley twins pulled the most pranks, and the caretaker surely wanted to stop as many as he could before they happened, which unfortunately ment he caught the wandering Kiba much more often.

And one such day was the day before Halloween. It had been raining heavily and Kiba was strolling through the corridors with muddy shoes and unfortunately right into the caretaker.

"i knew it, i knew it was you" he said ahe pulled him by his shirt "dragging your muddy paws through the castle. Almost every night i catch you after curfew and yet you remain in this school" Filch said, he continued his monologue all the way until the two reached the caretakers office. Kiba was pushed inside with force and the door was slammed shut behind him. Filch pushed the boy down into one of the chairs and grabbed an empty parchment from his desk and began scribbling on it while he mumbled happily. He was most likely writing a massive detention slip for the boy he so detested. But he suddenly seemed frantic searching all overt his desk "where did i put – NO! Those darn, fucking Twins!" The old man slammed on his desk and sent a letter flying to Kiba's feet, but the boy didn't notice, he was to busy laughing at the anger of the caretaker as he ran out of his office. Kiba wanted to run as fast as he could from the office but the letter at his feet stopped him.

"what is this?" he inspected the strange letter which talked about a form of magic. "take your own Kwikspell course, pathetic" Kiba said dropping the letter down on the chair previously sat on "and here i thought he was a Muggle," he couldn't help but chuckle as his voice grew louder through his enjoyment of the situation "he's a Squib! HAHAHA! I can't wait to tell Harry!" the door suddenly slammed open again and Filch's angry gaze was fixed on him

"what did you just say you little brat?" he asked, his eyes moved from Kiba to the chair and then the letter on it "you touched my stuff?" he asked "YOU TOUCHED MY STUFF?!" he shouted. Kiba didn't reply he slowly backed away from the caretaker.

"I-I… I didn't, I-" Kiba stammered

"LIAR, YOU READ MY LETTER, I COULD HAVE YOU EXPELLED RIGHT NOW. I COULD HANG YOU BY YOUR ANKLES, I SHOULD!" the old man shouted but it seemed that something else came to him when he suddenly calmed down, Filch slammed the door behind him and grinned horribly to reveal his darkened yellow teeth. Mrs Norris meowed as the two began to corner the boy. The Parselmouth moved backwards slowly until he hit the desk behind him. He stared into Filch's mad eyes as his own quivered a little. "A shame that I can't physically hurt you. Little shits such as yourself need a good beating every now and then. But it will be a pleasure knowing that I can report you for intruding into my office and attempting to steal my things."

"But that's a lie! I haven't stolen anything!"

Filch leaned closer to the boy, the smell of rotting fish leaking from his mouth. Kiba wanted to gag and push his head away from his own but kept still. "Nobody will believe you. And if your friends try to back you up, I'll just say that they were in on it as well," whispered Filch. "l might even throw in that you threatened my cat. That's right, I'll do it. Not feeling so tough now aren't you, Kiba?" Filch broke out into a wheezing fit of laughter while Mrs Norris hissed from behind. Kiba felt his skin burning as anger seeped out from his pores. He hardened his fist as he felt compelled to hit the despicable man, despite his age. Filch noticed this and came closer to him one more, face to face. "Is little Kiba angry? Did I touch a nerve? Well don't just stand there, hit me."

"HIT ME!" Kiba gritted his teeth as tightened his fist so hard he could've bled right there. He knew what would've been the consequences had he succumbed to his anger but by god, did he want to hurt him so bad. Whether it be by magic or by hand, Kiba wanted to see this man suffer in so much pain, that he'd never come back to Hogwarts. He'd be doing everyone a favour by doing so. Filch poked the Parselmouth in the chest and pushed him back a little, trying to draw out a reaction from the boy.

"Don't touch me." Kiba said quietly. Filch pushed him again. "I said, don't..."

"Or what, Kiba? What could you possibly do?" Filch taunted as he pushed Kiba one final time. The Parselmouth almost exploded as his hatred for the man was on the very edge, waiting for the final push to release everything. He looked down to the ground and tried to distract himself to slowly ease his anger.

"Hmph. Just as I thought. Thinks he's better than everyone else. You should be happy, kid. I just gave you a reality check. Don't matter if you're a wizard, you kids don't mean a thing to me. Bunch of little puppies with undeserved power. Look at you. Silent, just how I like it. You see that, Mrs Norris? That's how you deal with these dogs. Gotta twist their feeble, naïve minds to understand the truth." Filch opened the door and told Kiba to leave. "If you ever try anything like that again well... better not find out, huh?" Filch slammed his office door as Kiba stood in the dimmed corridors. Rain had begun to fall again as Kiba felt like lashing out to the next person that came around the corner. He wanted to go back inside Filch's office to traumatise the hell out of him. He seriously wanted to see some blood from the caretaker.

' _filthy, fucking Squib'_ Kiba thought ' _How dare he threaten me? Doesn't matter, tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow he'll feel the wrath of the heir of Slytherin! I'm finding that chamber… no matter what_ '

The boy quickly headed towards the Gryffindor common room. It wasn't exactly late yet but Kiba stormed past every Gryffindor anyways and headed straight for his dorm. He saw Hermione looking at him worryingly as he headed for the spiral staircase. And how couldn't she worry about the red haired boy that saved her life in the forbidden forest? How could she ignore that there was more to him? Much more.

Kiba laid down on his bed and sighed heavily. 'you look sad' hotaru said jumping through the closed curtains. 'something wrong?'

"it's nothing i don't want to.." Hotaru snuggled into his palm affectionately and looked back at the boy "it's Filch.. he's just… i don't know"

'Maybe you should write it down in you're diary,' the dragon suggested 'that might ease your mind'

"Maybe.." Kiba sighed again, he reached into his nightstand and grabbed the old diary as he sat upright. "thanks Hotaru" the boy quickly got up and sat down at the table inside the dormitory and began to write. He wrote down what had happened in Filch's office and what Filch had done.. and what he himself wanted to do.

' _Then do it!'_

...

 **AN:** i actually had this chapter finished for so long but i couldn't find the time to proof read and upload it. But yeah, now i did. chapter 18 is almost finished too!

remember to suggest your own characters and review!

 ** _PEACE!_**


	18. Chapter 18: Below no longer

Chapter 18: Below no longer

"it's tonight, and you gotta come" Hermione said. The four Gryffindors sat at the table in the great hall for breakfast the following morning.

"what even is a 'deathday Party?'" Kiba asked

"it's like a Birthday only," Ron said

"for the day you died" Harry finished.

"But it's not like we can just skip the Halloween feast" Kiba said "and I've got a lot of reading to do"

"well if Kiba isn't going then i won't either" Hermione said. Kiba had already intended to skip the feast anyways, he had found the diary under his bed again the previous night, and somehow when he picked it up he felt ready, he felt he knew where the chamber was and he was going to open it. Due to the fact that it was Halloween they had a completely free day. Perfect for the Parselmouth. He stuffed the rest of his meal into his mouth and left the great hall quickly and headed for the common room.

He sat down and dipped his quill into some ink. 'Dear Faye,' he began writing 'I thought you might want some more sweets from here, it's Halloween so there's plenty to go around. I hope everything is fine in the orphanage, and with the Kenway's.. they said they'd take you yet?

Do you remember the caretaker i told you about, Filch. Well he's getting meaner by the day and his cat is just as awful. He was trying to get a rise out of me, and i almost hit him.

I miss you allot, usually we'd spend so much time together, that's what i miss. I already got your Christmas present ready and will see you during the holidays.

Happy Halloween,

Kiba' he sighed as he folded the parchment and tied it to Kuzon's leg.

'Why does she never write back?' Kuzon asked softly

"i think because of madam, she's probably not letting her send them" Kiba replied, though he feared something else might be they case but he brushed it of and send his owl off.

'Maybe Kuzon is bringing the letters to the wrong place' said hotaru from his shoulder

"nonsense, have some faith in him will you? You are practically family" Kiba said "I've got homework to do, we'll play later okay?"

'sure, I'm feeling a bit sleepy anyways' with a quick jump the small dragon disappeared and left Kiba alone in the common room. He sighed heavily and began doing is homework with little difficulties but it was allot and he was busy for multiple hours. But the parselmouth wasn't feeling like himself at all, his headaches were increasing again and his focus would constantly drift away from his work and he would think of other things. He took some books that he had taken from the library and went to bring them back. As he entered the library he was met with Hermione who smiled at him brightly. "still no chance your coming to Nicks Deathday party" she asked

"no, sorry." Kiba said apologetically "i might just go to bed today. Probably not even going to attend the feast"

"are you feeling alright?" the girl asked "i worry about you sometimes"

"Huh? You don't have to"

"but i do, you know.. i barely see you these days, your always off doing stuff or going to bed early" Hermione said "just, take care of yourself" Hermione held her books close to her chest and sighed as she looked into Kiba's eyes which looked back at hers in silence. Hermione then slowly leaned forwards and placed a soft kiss on the cheek of the stunned boy, both of the young Gryffindors began heating up intensely causing Hermione to slip past Kiba and quickly leave the library.

For a moment Kiba stood still, thinking, wondering and processing what had just happened, for a short time his headache had disappeared but they soon returned and he continued by bringing the books back to their shelfs. The bell rang indicating that the feast would soon begin but Kiba's feet didn't carry him that way. His steps lead to where he was ment to go, to do what he was meant to do.. He was born for this.

He stood before the door off the abandoned second floor girls bathroom, and this time he didn't hesitate to turn the knob and open it. He looked left and right to check for any watchful eyes, and proceeded into the bathroom. Kiba remembered his dream, where he woke up just where he stood now, and everything was like then. The floor was mostly wet, the walls were turning green from mold and the different flora that grew in the cracks of the tiles. ' _How can plants grow here?_ ' Kiba asked himself as he turned back to close the door, the bathroom was filthy and disgusting except for the circular sinks, which were in peak condition. Kiba stepped forward towards the sinks and checked the taps until he found the engraved snake. He traced its form with his fingers and instinctively spoke "The heir has returned"

Something clicked and the room vibrated. The sinks began spiralling and at the end moved into the ground to reveal the giant pipe that led down into the darkness. The Déjà vu that zipped across Kiba's mind was undeniable, it was all like in his dream down to every detail. "a girls bathroom, Salazar Slytherin was a genius, in an odd way"

"who's there?" a female voice called out from the ile of cubicles. Kiba jumped, he was sure that nobody was in the bathroom when he entered, and he wasn't going to be caught in the act of opening the chamber, which meant he wasn't going to stick around. He jumped into the pipe and slid down into the darkness, until he could see nothing. Each twist and turn was exactly like in his dream, and he could feel the incredible rush that he felt from his dream. The invigoration and the electrifying sensation of his nerves burning with excitement as he slid with insane speed made him feel like a different person. He loved it. Unlike in his dream he knew the pipe would end at any moment and was prepared, without ever trying hard he landed on his feet and brushed back his hair as a happy grin formed on his face.

He lit his wand with a quick flick and revealed his surroundings. Bones were all over the cold stone floor, bones with different shapes and sizes. Rats, mice and ones that seemed to be those of chickens. The Parselmouth carefully made his way through the graveyard and past the stalagmites and reached the circular serpent door. With a quick hiss he opened the door and stepped through the hole landing in a puddle on the solid stone floor. The air was refreshing as a green hue entered the boys eyes, infecting everything in sight. The silvery snake pillars on either side bared open their large fangs reaching the top of the seemingly endless ceiling as their bodies sunk below the water. Kiba was somebody else at that point, he wasn't the careing and hardworking Scamander anymore, no. This Kiba was vicious and thirsted for blood. Had his friends seen his devilish grin or his shimmering red eyes now, then they wouldn't have recognized the boy.

"I am Kiba Rolf Scamander, I am the heir of Slytherin and i am here to fulfil my destiny, to serve my noble bloodline" Kiba spoke in Parsel "Beast of the Chamber, i command you to come forward" he turned his back to the central statue and began walking towards the exit of the chamber again. The hissing and slithering behind him told him that the gigantic serpent followed him.

'long have i waited, Master' it hissed 'now my time has come again. Remember, not even you can withstand my gaze so do not look upon my eyes'

"i know what you are, Basilisk." Kiba hissed "today we kill" the giant snake slithered past the boy leaving a layer of its skin behind in the boneyard. Kiba jumped onto its long back and held on as the serpent ascended the pipe at immense speed.

'I'm awake… I'm Thirsting… Blood… Kill… KILL!'

"do you smell that Mrs Norris?" Filch asked as he patrolled the castle with his one and everything. "the twins are out of bed again" the cat mowed loudly in agreement but then suddenly stopped. "what is it, my sweet?" her hairs stood up straight from her back and she broke into a run. Filch followed suit, though he was out of breath quickly and soon lost sight of the feline and calling out to her wielded no response. The caretaker began frantically searching for his cat, because without Mrs Norris he was nothing, the old man breathed heavily as he ran from one corridor to the next and then to the next floor.

It took him a while but eventually he found his cat, but not like he wanted to. Mrs Norris was stiff as a board and hung by her tail from a wallmounted lantern. Tears began to stream from the caretakers eyes and he dropped to his knees with a loud cry of sadness. He dropped his hands to the ground and realized that the entire floor was flooded "Damn you Myrtle!" he shouted loudly as slammed a fist into the water. He closed his eyes and cried out. His cat, his Mrs Norris, his everything… was dead. He opened his eyes and saw a figure in the reflection of the water towering above him, it's body was long and every snakelike scale shun green, he traced along it's form and all the way to it's reflected head and it's great yellow…

Just like his cat, Filch to went stiff in his kneeling position. He had seen the piercing yellow eyes of the Basilisk and it had claimed his life. The red haired boy that stood beside the monster laughed devilishly as he stepped over to the caretakers still body. "not so tough anymore, huh?" he pressed his boot against the stiff shoulder and pushed the body onto its side. He towered above Filch and grinned. He pointed his wand at the wall next to the hung up cat and wrote as he spoke. "The Chamber has been reopened, Enemies of the heir beware!" he burned the words into the wall with black flames and felt nothing but pride. Pride, that he was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin

"the heir has returned!" Kiba felt powerful, he felt that Filch fully deserved this. And he wasn't the only one who deserved to fall victim to him, there were so many in this school unworthy, so many Mudbloods. Kiba flinched in pain and fell backwards against the wall and the diary dropped from his hands as they quickly moved to hold his stomach. He sank down into a fetal position and felt deathly ill at the sight of Filch's dead body. ' _what did i.._ ' Kiba saw the body of the Basilisk towering above him and felt it's tongue touch him ever so slightly. He shut his eyes painfully and all he could see was Filch's face, his scared and, at the same time, sad expression and he could see Mrs Norris and Quirrel. Three faces Kiba knew he would never forget.

'Master, who is next?' the Basilisk suddenly asked

"No one" Kiba hissed back "you should return to the chamber"

'of course Master' it hissed in return as it made it's way back into the bathroom 'I'll await your return'

Kiba sat quietly, shaking slightly with his head held against his knees. He didn't want to look at it, at Filch, at Mrs Norris, at the message he had burned into the wall with devilish black flames. Nothing. He wanted to sit, and cry, and puke but he couldn't. And worst of all, he still felt proud of himself or at least the other him did.

"Harry, slow down!" Ron's voice echoed through the corridor, bouncing off of every wall making it seem as though he stood right beside Kiba. Something set in at that moment, was it Panic or Paranoia? Maybe even fear. No matter what it was it caused Kiba to get onto his feet and run and as he turned the corner, leaving Filch out of view he heard the footsteps that followed Ron's voice slow down.

"Oh. My. God."

Harry stood in the flooded corridor with Ron and Hermione. All three of them disturbed by what they were witnessing. Neither had seen anything scarier before, not the figure in the forbidden forest, not fluffy not even Voldemorts very face. They all gasped and contained their screams of terror fearing that, who ever or what ever did this would come for them. Hermione couldn't speak for once, her eyes quivered at the ghastly sight and her hand covered her mouth. "G-Guys, i think that's… Filch" Ron said with a crack in his voice.

"and Mrs Norris," Harry added, but another yelp from Hermione came when the three looked at the wall, and the small black flames that hung on to life on the letters that had been burned into the wall. "The Chamber has been reopened, Enemies of the heir beware?!"

"who the hell is 'the heir', and what Chamber had been opened.. what the fuck is even all this?!" Ron said growing more histerical by the second while Hermione began to sob into her hands, she had covered her eyes and turned away from the horrific scene.

"I-… I don't know…" Harry said with his eyes fixed on the writing "should we… shou- what do we do?" Harry slowly approached the body that lay in the puddle caused by the leakige from the closed off bathroom, he was stuck in a kneeling position but was laid out on his side. The terror that Filch's face showed struck Harry hard, his eyes quivered as he stated in to those of the caretaker. Like this, he reminded the scar bearing boy of a kicked over mannequin that had been left to it's own, just much more realistic. He continued stepping through the puddle and towards Mrs Norris. He reached out his hand and touched her fur gently, but every hair was frozen stiff and pierced his skin like a needle.

"Filch is dead. Oh god, Filch is dead.. And then this message, yeah i think we're all gonna-"

"AAAAAAHHHHH" a large group of students had appeared behind the trio And nearly everyone screamed in terror. Of course they all immediately assumed it was Harry, Ron and Hermione who did it and the corridor filed with students. One Slytherin pushed his way through the crowd and read the message aloud.

"'The Chamber has been reopened, Enemies of the heir beware'?" Draco quoted before turning his attention to other students and Hermione In particular "you hear that Mudbloods? Your next!"

Just as Hermione was about to shoot back an insult at the boy a voice could be heard loud and clear "Quiet" it was none other then Snape who came through the crowd and stopped in front of the Trio. The three just looked at each other, clueless on what do next. If they weren't careful then it could turn out to be the second time the entire school would treat them like the foulest of tramps who had somehow found a way inside of the castle. They felt their hearts skip when Dumbledore glided in with grace. Multiple other teachers, including McGonagall, followed the old man as they too were appalled by what they saw.

"So what's the problem? I'm sure that I can fix it with a- Oh my." Lockhart strolled along as the last teacher on the scene and almost posed heroically until he saw Filch. His glittering smile disappeared, as did the colour in his face. "Is that..."

"Yes;' said the headmaster, "it is Argus."

"What happened to him, Albus?" McGonagall asked anxiously, tightening her grip on her robes.

"We'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, I suggest everyone returns to their dorms immediately. Except for Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Granger. Please, follow me" Everybody parted as they carried on discussing about what happened. The trio followed Dumbledore, who was levitating Filch with his finger, Snape and Professor McGonagall who carried Mrs Norris, to Lockhart's office. Hermione wanted to know if Kiba was among the crowd that was sent to the dorm but put him out of her mind as they entered the DADA classroom.

Everyone, except Lockhart, ignored the moving portraits of Lockhart himself, and cleared the desk to allow Filch to lay upon it. After several minutes of inspection and prodding from the old man, everyone tensed up to hear the final confirmation of the caretaker's condition.

"Alas, Argus is not dead." The trio sighed quietly as did McGonagall but Snape simply twitched his lower lip.

"But he's frozen... he can't move. How is this possible? There is no spell that can do this" Hermione asked gently. She stuck close to Harry and Ron.

"No, no spell could have done this" Dumbledore said stroking his long silver beard "but what could?"

"you did see the message, Albus. 'The Chamber-'" McGonagall said

"yes, Minerva. I do have my theory," the old wizard said. Once again Harry detected a flicker of fear in a man he thought incapable of experiencing fear. But Dumbledore was still a man. He shook his head and turned to the three children "i did notice you three didn't attend the feast inn the great hall. So how do i know you aren't part of this 'attack'"

"well, we were at sir Nicolas' deathday party" Harry said quietly

"we tried to convince the headless hunters to let him join in on the hunt" Ron added "but.. they wouldn't.. let him" he said stuttering under Snape's stare.

"And we weren't hungry afterwards, so were decided to head for our common room immediately and that's when we…"

"found Mister Filch" Harry said, finishing their story. Of course they wouldn't tell anybody that Harry had heard a voice in the walls that wanted to kill, and Hermione sure had gotten quick at making up stories ever since their first year.

"it's that truly so?" asked Dumbledore

"if i might suggest, headmaster. Perhaps Potter and his friends were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time" as unexpected as it was Snape seemed to try and defendet the trio while the usually optimistic Dumbledore doubted them.

"Perhaps indeed Severus," Dumbledore said "of to bed you three" with a quick turn and Gary steroids the three headed for their dorms as fast as possible, hoping that nothing would come after them. "Minerva, i must see Kiba as soon as possible"

"I'll send him before breakfast" The witch replied. She was worried, not just about the wellfare of the caretaker and his cat, but worried about every student that could've been in his place. Dumbledore though, he looked very different from his usual self… very different.

"don't look so sad Minerva, Filch will be back in no time" Dumbledore spoke softly "Severus, i trust you to produce a restorative as soon as possible"

"of course, Headmaster" Snape strode out of the room ignoring Lockhart who suggested that he'd help the potions master, and disappeared from view.

Something happened that night that no one realized though not even the boy who it had happened to. Something inside had changed, drastically. Tom Riddle's diary was fitted inside Kiba's bag as he wandered the hallways of the castle. "Kiba, so you have a minute" Hermione said stepping closer to the boy

"depends. For what?" the Parselmouth asked in return

"well, the attack on Filch has been on my mind. And the message as well" the girl began "and i was curious since the professors seemed so concerned"

"So you did since digging?" Kiba asked, the boy feared the answer. He knew Hermione was answer but that she'd catch on this quick was incredible

"Exactly, and i found something about a Chamber" she said "The Chamber of Secrets"

"The Chamber of what now?" Kiba asked faking his confusion as best he can

"yeah, it's only a name though. I was wondering if you would help me find out more" the girl said

"of course, sounds awesome" Kiba said further faking his emotions, this time excitement. "but are you sure we'll find out anything in the library? If it's got the professors concerned then it must be more… confidential, right?"

"i thought so too" Hermione said beginning to walk "still worth a shot" the two headed straight for the library and before Kiba knew it, Hermione dumped seven large books on the table "let's get to it!" she said excitedly. The Parselmouth grabbed the first book and read it's title

"Hogwarts: a history?" he said "it's not in here"

"might be, maybe i missed it on my first few reads" Hermione said reaching for the founders book "just check it, okay?" Kiba nodded slowly and opened the book.

'why did i agree to this? I already know about the Chamber, and the heir. I found it, it's ME!' Kiba thought 'this is such a waste of time. At least this will give me an alibi. As long as Hermione thinks i don't know anything she won't suspect me..' however angry he was at himself for getting into such a time wasting situation it turned out most opportune for Kiba, maybe he could use Hermione's curiosity to blame someone else for the attack on Filch, and not raise any suspicion on himself.

As Hermione got up the get more books and bring the others away Kiba quickly pulled the diary from his bag along with his quill. He quickly scribbled across the parchment to tell his father about Filch '.. The whole school is talking about it'

'now that you've got them talking you have to pierce their every thought'

'How?'

'with fear' was Tom's reply 'send shivers down their spines at mere mention of the heir'

'what would you have me do?' for a while hiss ink stayed on the parchment before slowly fading. Ever so slowly Tom replied, letter by letter.

'Kill a Mudblood'

Kiba hesitated, for a moment he let the ink from his feather drip onto the book, his eyes were fixed on the diary before him. Kill a Muggle-born? An actual Muggle-born, that was in this school? Someone Like… he looked towards the rows of bookshelves and saw Hermione dash from one to the next… 'i don't think i can'

'yes you can,' Tom replied 'it'll be easy. You're better at this then i was' those words set something inside Kiba in motion. Better then his own father? But Kiba didn't want to kill anyone else, he only intended to use the Basilisk for Filch and no more. Even so, the thought off killing again made Kiba scared, he considered himself lucky that Filch didn't die. When he struck down Quirrell he felt a tearing pain inside him that went beyond physical hurt. And it had followed him ever since. If he killed, would it happen again? Would it be stronger? Harder to endure? It might even kill him this time. Kiba wasn't going to risk finding out.

"I'm back" Hermione said happily with a few more books in her arms. Kiba's eyes finally broke free from his trance and he looked at the girl before quickly closing the diary. "did you find anything?"

"i thought i did," Kiba said quickly "bit thinking about it now… it's nothing" the bell rung loudly throughout the castle and indicated the start of their next lesson… History of Magic. A topic that Kiba would enjoy of the teacher wasn't mister Binns.

"I'll just take these with me" Hermione said putting the books into her bag "come on Kiba" the Parselmouth quickly stuffed his belongings in to his bag and walked with the girl. They walked through the blackboard of the classroom and sat down in their seats at the front and back of the class. Kiba had taken a seat in the back and no need other then Parvati had taken the seat beside him.

The lesson began and before even five minutes had passed everyone was out of it. Most of the students, including Theodore were having trouble keeping their heads balanced on their hands. And some had just fallen asleep. Parvati was constantly swaying her head in Kiba's direction and ultimately dropped it on Kiba's shoulder. "Parvati, get off" Kiba said pushing her head away

"i can't help it" she replied "I'm just so tired" she leaned over to Kiba again butt he blocked her head before it reached him.

"then lay down on your table" Kiba said

"Miss Pastel and Mister Salamander, you can flirt after class. Now please pay attention" almost every head turned to Kiba to see what was happening and Kiba returned every gaze. Seamus was giggling behind his hand and Ron simply winked at Kiba. Harry had only looked but Hermione's had was still facing forward. Kiba wasn't even going to try and defend himself. He slumped down into his seat and focused on his thoughts where Tom Riddle's words had found permanent residence. Was the boy actually deciding wether to kill his fellow students or not, just because his father and ancestor wanted him to? Would he betray the trust he had earned last year? Dumbledore's trust, betrayed by a boy with the help of the-

"… Chamber of Secrets" Hermione's voice echoed through the heir's mind. Internal panic ensued and Kiba began shaking lightly. Everyone was wide awake at this point and listened to the ghost professor speak.

"Miss Gramper, i cannot tell you what i know because this is History of Magic and not Myths of-"

"but a myth had to originate from somewhere, isn't that history in its own?"

"yes, but i-"

"All legends have their roots in some form of the truth, and are usually based on ancient cultures and religions. Seeing as that is in the past –"

"alright, enough. If i must tell you then i shall, but only if all of you promise to stay focused for the rest of the lesson" everyone nodded furiously. No longer were the heads hard to balance, and no longer were the tables used as pillows for a quick nap. Everyone was prepared to hear everything Binns had to say, unlike usually. Kiba spotted Hermione dipping her feather into some ink to write down any information that the History teacher had to give.

"This school was founded by the four most prominent wizards and witches of their time, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. I will not go into such detail about them individually, but know that they all wanted children like them to thrive with their magical talents, away from Muggles. These were dark times for our community." Binns floated from side to side as he spoke in his usual monotone "peace was balanced between the four founders until the divide started to form. It was believed that Slytherin saw the school, only for those within wizarding families, pure-bloods if you will. Those born without magical blood, Muggle-borns, were seen as unworthy to him. He even felt contempt towards half-bloods as well. Soon enough, Salazar Slytherin had left the castle after an argument among the other founders, never to return again."

"But what's the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I'm getting to it Mister Dongplottem. Slytherin not only left his respective house behind but also his 'legacy'. Somewhere inside of the school, lies a hidden chamber, built by the defected founder himself for his direct heir alone. By using the Chamber, the Heir of Slytherin would cleanse the school of those who were unworthy to study magic. Those, in Salazar's eyes, were impure and... dirty." Kiba felt a sense of superiority that a legend so great and feared, had referred to him. He only wished that his story was as famous as Harrys, probably even more. How often was it that a founder's heir stumbled inside of Hogwarts? Not too often.

"But how? How would they do it?" Hermione asked curiously. She gripped the edge of the table tightly, waiting for the answer to escape from the professor's lips.

"A monster, my dear. A monster so terrible and fearsome, that we do not know of it. This monster would fall under the control of the Heir, and the Heir alone who used it to commit the most atrocious acts, one couldn't possibly do on their own. Slytherin's Beast."

Kiba couldn't help but smile at everyone's reaction to the story. He inhaled slowly, intoxicating himself with the fear, excreted from his classmates. He hadn't been shaking because of fear, no. He shook with anticipation and excitement, to see and feel the fear within his classmates. Parvati was trembling beside him as was Neville in his front. The disturbing unease that filled the room remained all the way until the end of the lesson, when everybody rushed straight through the blackboard. Kiba walked silently next to Ron, Harry and Hermione, listening to their take on his heritage. And he wasn't particularly happy.

"how can Slytherin exist as a house in Hogwarts with that kind of history" Ron said loudly "batshit crazy! I know that if i could i would remove Slytherin as Hogwarts house"

"your overreacting Ron," Kiba said as passively as he could "the chamber is fake anyways and Slytherin left, so what's the big deal?"

"the big deal, Kiba?" Ron replied "He wanted his own descendents to kill muggle-borns. Children! He's a psychopath" Kiba could feel anger growing inside him, having his friends talk down onto his great ancestor was almost unbearable.

"i think he was just cautious. Remember that Muggles hunted witches and wizards back then? Imagine what they could do of they found out where they were teaching magic"

"i can't believe your defending him" Ron said. Kiba was furious, he wanted to shout out that he was Slytherin's heir. He wanted to shove it down Rons throat, see what they think of Slytherin then. Better not.

"I wasn't! I'm just trying to… forget it!" Hermione suddenly stopped beside them and it seemed like a thought popped into her head. "Hermione?"

"He was a pure-blood supremacist." Hermione said "He used a terrible catalyst to kill Muggle-borns for the benefit of his, so named, superior race.. He reminds me of someone"

"Did you just compare Slytherin with Hitler?" Kiba asked. Hermione nodded, confirming his question "ridiculous" Kiba said and continued walking

"what?" Hermione gasped catching up to him "do you –"

"look, Hitler was the one hunting the Jews" Kiba said quickly "the Muggles were the ones who hunted Slytherin and other wizards. If the Jews threatened Hitler then your comparison would be correct, but… they didn't" Kiba sighed heavily "Salazar lived thousands of years ago, it doesn't matter" Kiba was growing angrier by the second. What started as a campfire was now turning into a first fire 'how dare she compare the great Salazar Slytherin to a filthy muggle like Adolf Hitler. Slytherin was a noble man who sought to care for and protect all wizards and witches!'

Hermione didn't look satisfied by Kiba's argument but kept quiet and like the boy remained silent wedgie they listened to Ron and Harry. The walked through the castle and were headed for the great hall. It was near dinnertime and the bell could ring at any minute but all of them stopped when they came by the bathroom on the second floor. The water on the floor was still there since Filch wasn't around to do it. The message that Kiba had written was still on the wall, and the four read it again. Hermione, Harry and Ron didn't even suspect that it had been their best friend that had written the message. Kiba could only recall how lucky he was that he hasn't burned himself with the strange black flames "we should keep going" Kiba said "you don't want to be caught here again"

Harry ignored him and walked towards the door "maybe we should look for any clues inside" he suggested "just a little look around"

"last year we took a little look around and almost died!" Kiba protested blocking the way to the door but Hermione slipped past him and quickly headed inside. Even though Kiba had only been in this bathroom once it felt so familiar like he had lived in this bathroom for years. The sinks the cubicles, he could walk this room blindfolded.

Kiba stayed outside as the other three headed inside, he feared that if he entered that the chamber would open by its self. It sounds foolish but it's magic, who knows what it can do? "aren't you coming Kiba?" Harry called out

"damn" Kiba said under his breath "I'm coming" he quickly looked left and right down the corridor and headed into the bathroom when he was sure no one was watching him. He closed the door and turned around to face the other three and was surprised to see a ghost as well. "woah" the ghost rushed in close and inspected the boy

"you look awfully familiar" she said with a high pitched voice. The space between the boy and the pale ghostly girl grew smaller by the second and Kiba could see every pimple in full detail. He took a few steps back and sighed quietly

"Hi I'm Kiba" he said simply

"Hey Kiba, I'm Myrtle" she giggled and began floating around the boy "Kiba.. that's a strange name, is it American?"

"Japanese, actually" the boy replied "it means Fang, you know like the teeth of a wolf" Hermione looked at Kiba curiously and the boy supply shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh yeah, Myrtle." Hermione suddenly said "when you left the Deathday party, did you see anything or anyone?"

"i heard someone outsider the bathroom," the ghost said in a pitiful tone "but when i wanted to check who it was i heard Filch cursing at me" suddenly she burst into tears and flew into the toilet of a nearby cubicle sending the water flying up and out of the bowl.

"she's got a screw loose" Ron whispered

"did you see anything that night Kiba?" Hermione suddenly asked with a whisper

"no, i took a little detour after the feast. I think i did see Mrs Norris running somewhere on the first floor" Kiba replied but Hermione didn't look like she fully believed him. But then her eyes met his hazal ones and she froze. Those eyes screamed terror, bloodlust and pain, but all she saw was truthfulness and sincerity. He stepped closer to Hermione and brought his nose so close to hers that they almost touched. Hermione cheeks quickly began changing their hue due to the rapid increase of heat. She wheeze slightly through her mouth as she admired every feature on the angel liked perfect gave before her "I'm not in any trouble, 'mione. Don't worry so much about me" he said with a smile as he took a step back.

"i can't really help it. I'm just glad that you're okay" she said. The girl was trapped in the web of Kiba's charm, and there was no escaping it now, not even if she tried. The falsely depicted emotions the boy had shown with a simple glance would allow him to swing any situation in his favour.

Later that night the four Gryffindor were huddled around a circular table in the common room whispering about the Chamber of Secrets. Percy however reminded them of the bedtime that was approaching the second years. This didn't sit well with Ron and he slumped down in a bad mood "don't worry about him," Harry said quietly "we should focus on who opened the chamber of Secrets"

"i agree, we need to find out who 'the heir of Slytherin' is. Only makes you wonder, who would attack Filch and threaten all the Muggle-Borns in the school?"

"there's really only one person in contention" the three turned their heads to Kiba in confusion. This was the moment, the one chance he had to blame someone else for the attack on Filch "Draco" he said. Hermione seemed sceptical but Harry and Ron jumped right onto Kiba's side

"of course!" Ron shouted as he smacked his own forehead

"it makes perfect sense," Harry added "Draco had shown on many occasions how much her hates Muggle-Borns"

"Besides, you've met his father right?" Kiba asked, both boys nodded and Hermione did too but slowly

"it does fit exceptionally well" she said "but we can't be sure we have to force him to tell us"

"right! Let's go torture the brat!" Ron said but he was quickly calmed down by the others "but what's the plan then? We can't walz into the Slytherin common room and ask him"

"we'll figure something out" Hermione added. The sheer satisfaction that the Parselmouth felt was indescribable. He had easily convinced them to suspect Draco and led them onto a false trail. If the heir played his cards right further then he could go the entire year without being discovered. All he had to do now was occasionally help the other three to not seem suspicious, and all could end well.


	19. Chapter 19: The Purge begins!

Chapter 19: The Purge begins!

Harry, Hermione and Ron were seated at the breakfast table leaving some space between them and the other Gryffindor's. They hadn't created a full on plan to interrogate Draco but the pieces were slowly coming together. Kiba strolled into the hall fashionably late and sat down beside Hermione and began to pile up the food on his plate and began to eat. The other three were stunned by the boys sudden hunger but brushed it off and continued planning. "so how are we going to get into the Slytherin common room?" Hermione asked hoping for one of Kiba's great ideas.

"can't Kiba get us in?" Ron asked, Kiba swallowed hard because he nearly choked on his food. Why would Ron think he could take them inside. "i mean, the sorting hat did consider Slytherin for you first" Kiba sighed in relief while Hermione scolded Ron for such an idiotic idea.

"no way he can pose as a Slytherin, they'd recognize him immediately!" She said

"but what if they couldn't?" Kiba asked "i read about a potion the other day, it let's you take the form of another temporarily"

"The Polyjuice Potion" Hermione said a little louder then intended, "brilliant.. but very risky. We'll be breaking about fifty school rules"

"more" Kiba added

"but how do we know how to make it, and where?" Harry asked

"there should be something about the potion in the library, and –" Kiba spoke

"and i know exactly where we can brew it without being discovered. The girls bathroom on the second floor" Hermione added "no one ever goes in there because of Myrtle"

"bloody brilliant" Ron said before Kiba could interject. The four went to class and afterwards to the library. Ron and Harry were patiently waiting for Kiba and Hermione to find the potions book.

"here it is" Hermione said returning to the others "the Polyjuice potion"

"and with this we'll be able to look like someone else?" Harry asked

"Yes," Kiba said "i was thinking Crabbe and Goyle"

"brilliant, Malfoy will tell us anything" Ron said in amazement

"there's just one problem" Hermione said lifting her head "I've never seen a trickier potion. It'll take a while" Kiba peered over her shoulder to also read the page she was on

"How long?" Harry asked quickly

"a month.." Kiba said

"a month?!" Ron half shouted. Hermione quickly placed her finger on her lips to silence him

"but Draco could attack half the muggle-borns on the school!" Harry protested

"I know, but it's the only plan we've got" Hermione replied softly

A few days passed and nearly everything was prepared to begin brewing the potion, all that was missing were the ingredients. And where else to get them then Snape's stores. Kiba had taken it upon himself to retrieve the ingredients, and used that exact mission as an excuse too skip the Quidditch match. However, Kiba was comfortably seated in one off the window seats in the Gryffindor common room. He dipprd his feather into his ink and watched as his words on the diary disappeared and new ones formed.

'have you started the potion yet? If you want to avoid suspicion then you should begin immediately' Tom replied once Kiba's words had been absorbed by the page.

'Not yet, but I'm retrieving the ingredients today. Everything is in my control'

'you're as cunning as i hoped you would be, i dare even say more then me'

'I'm sure that you had it easy as well, you were and still are brilliant"

'i was nearly discovered on my first attack. Luckily, i was able to accuse a filthy half-breed of the attack, he was to foolish to see through me. He was expelled for the murder of that Mudblood'

'you killed muggle-born?' Kiba was trembling slightly, his father had killed at the age of sixteen. Then again he killed someone at the age of twelve. It seemed like murder ran in the family, curious.

'it is what our ancestor destined is to do, no?' Tom asked 'and i would've slaughtered the lot of them if i had the chance. But Dumbledore never trusted me, but he trusts you. You will be the one who is capable of the greatest massacre in wizard history.'

'what would you have me do?'

'you know what to do, Kiba Rolf Riddle'

'yes father' Kiba closed the diary and gripped it tightly. He stood up and left the common room feeling something crawl up his spine. A certain hatred for impurity, a hatred for Muggle-borns. "filthy Mudbloods!" he said darkly. He hated the word to it's core but spoke it like it was nothing to him, it felt natural to him. His desire to stand above others. His eyes once again, unknowingly to Kiba, shun in a shade of red. He headed for snape office and unlocked the door with a simple charm.

He quickly gathered all the ingredients and left the room like he'd never been inside. He continued walking along the corridor and felt the warmth of the diary return like it had done before. He stood before the second floor bathroom holding the bag of ingredients. It was like then, at Halloween. Just him, the diary and the second floor bathroom. He was ready, much more ready. Today he could kill! Today he would kill! He reached out for the handle but stopped when he saw Hermione and Ron run towards him from a distance. He got mad for a second, once again he was stopped from fulfilling his destiny but quickly calmed down, replacing his frown with a sincere look of concern.

The two came to a stop in front of him drenched and smelling of rain water. "you look terrible, what happened?" Kiba asked. Hermione squeezed her hair sending a waterfall to the stone floor.

"it's Harry. There was a Bludger that chased him it struck his arm and then Lockhart came-" she said

"bet that ended badly" Kiba sighed

"he's in the hospital wing, come along!" the two continued running and Kiba quickly put the bag of ingredients into the bathroom and chased after them. The hospital wing was already filed with both the Slytherin and the Gryffindor team both crowded around their respective seekers.

"don't make such a fuzz Malfoy, you can go!" Madam Pomfrey said as she came rushing in with a bottle. "Move! Out of my way!"

"so Harry's arm is broken?" Kiba asked Hermione as he looked at Harry. His arm however looked weird, sort of like a bad magicians prop.

"how can it be broken of there are no bones!" Harry shouted as he waved his limb arm around. "All because of that blonde prick!"

"What? Malfoy did this?" Kiba asked "i swear I'll have his head!" Hermione grabbed Kiba wrist and quickly filled him in on what happened. Kiba calmed down quickly while Harry was forced to drink a disgusting smelling and bitter tasting liquid. It obviously didn't taste good because Harry spit his first chug out immediately.

"you're in for a rough night Potter, growing bones back is a nasty business" Pomfrey said before telling all the students, except Harry, to go to their common room immediately. Kiba wanted to sneak away but unfortunately for him, Hermione was still holding his wrist and dragged him along.

The three sat down by the fireplace once they returned to the common room so that Hermione and Ron could dry and warm up from the rain. "how do we plan on getting the ingredients for the potion?" Hermione asked as she dried her hair with a towel.

"no need to plan" Kiba said "I've already got it all, it's in the bathroom"

"that's why you missed the game!" Ron said loudly "you knew snape would be watching and u snuck into his stores"

"yes i did, would you keep it down?" Kiba said. Ron had nearly shouted and anyone in the common room would've heard it. It didn't take long before the three headed to bed for some sleep but one of them didn't. Kiba lay awake in his four-poster bed, so long that he couldn't bare it any longer. He got up, put on his shoes and quietly made his way out of the common room and to the second floor girls lavatory. Not even ten minutes later he left the bathroom with a giant serpent by his side, desperate for a victim. He silently crept through the corridors and then he heard it.. footsteps. Just around the corner.

He signalled the Basilisk to wait and called out to the pyjama wearing boy "Colin!" the boy spun around and looked scared to death but relaxed once he recognized the Gryffindor. His camera was dangling from his neck and swung wildly as Colin made his way to Kiba.

"H.. Heya Kiba, i.. i was just going to visit Harry. M.. maybe.." The boy said

"i don't think Harry would like to have pictures taken of him right now" Kiba replied "actually ever"

"oh.." Colin said disheartidly

"maybe you should try approaching Harry as a friends rather then a celebrity" Kiba explained briefly "Harry lives a stressful life, having someone run behind him and taking pictures doesn't help"

"do you think so?" the First-year asked, "i only wanted some nice pictures to show my family"

"you can take a picture of me" Kiba added. Colin's face lit up immediately and he raised his camera. He had his Camera raised before his eyes as he looked through the lens, he was so focused on taking that picture that he didn't hear the his that escaped Kiba's mouth.

 **FLASH** **!**

The gullible and naïve first year clicked his camera, illuminating the entire hallway in front of him. That is when he saw it entirely, full in detail and blatant terror. A grand snake poised its head above Kiba as the boy smiled wickedly, eyes still shimmering red. In that split second of the reflecting white light, Colin was drawn to its yellow eyes, his body suddenly shuddering violently in pain, unable to scream and cry out for help. He suffered in constant agony while all that Kiba could see, was a carcass no less than the filthiest animal...

Kiba saw the boys face tense up as he fell backwards like a falling tree, but something seemed wrong. He stepped over to Colin and realized that, like Filch and Mrs. Norris, Colin survived and was merely petrified. 'He lives, let me rip him!' the Basilisk hissed. Kiba towered above the fallen boy and ignored the Serpent.. He focused on a different noise. Distant humming echoed through the halls and it was unmistakably Dumbledore.

" _go, hide… back to the Chamber!_ " the boy nearly yelled. The Basilisk let out a low and dissatisfied hiss but obeyed, Kiba had promised his father, himself and the Basilisk death and blood, but delivered neither. Kiba turned on his heels and ran for the common room, and as soon as he had entered through the portrait hole he pulled out the diary and began writing.

'i did it, i attacked a Muggle-Born' he wrote

'Attacked? Did they survive?' was Tom's response. Even though it were just words written in ink Kiba felt that he disappointed his father.

'Dumbledore..' Kiba replied 'he was humming nearby, i couldn't finish the deed'

'hmmm. The school will begin with the safety measures now' Tom wrote 'students won't be allowed to walk alone, Teachers will start patrolling at night'

'what do i do?' Kiba asked. If the teachers began patrolling then no one could be attacked at night.

'Attack again, soon. Do It during free periods or in the evening when everyone is heading for their common rooms' Tom said 'Remember, make sure it's a Muggle-Born. And finish them this time'

'Yes Father' Kiba shut the diary and flopped onto his bed falling asleep. He may have not killed anyone yet, but when everyone would find out what happened, Slytherinls name will be feared from every single corner of the castle, everyone will know... Slytherin's Heir has truly returned...

It was Saturday morning and as winter came the corridors got colder and colder. Everyone had gathered in the great hall and awaited Dumbledore's speech. Kiba immediately realized the first year Gryffindors whispering among each other. Surely they had realised they were missing someone. "Good morning to all of you. Unfortunately i have to set you all into this day with a rather grim message. The attack on our caretaker is no longer the only attack, during last night there was another. Colin Creevey has also been petrified" murmurs broke out all across the tables and it took a while before silence returned "it is in your best interest to not wander alone until the culprit behind the attacks is found" Dumbledore said, he removed his half moon glasses and smiled slightly "however, i have granted our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, permission to start a duelling club" again murmurs broke out among the younger students who had never experienced anything close to a duel but Dumbledore continued loud and clear "now this club will take place in this very hall after dinner on every Saturday. Anyone may participate of they choose. Now... i say we eat"

Like on any other day, the food appeared pity of nowhere. Toast, eggs, bacon and much more tasty goods. But neither Hermione not Harry were eating. "aren't you guys hungry?" Ron asked with a full mouth.

"a Muggle-Born has been attacked, Ron" Hermione said "do you know what that means?"

"For one, Hermione's in danger" Kiba answered "and two, Draco was right when he said that the Muggle-Borns would be next"

"we have to start the potion today" Hermione said as silently as she could "we can't waste any more time. If Draco is the one behind the attacks, then it won't be long until he comes after me"

"Ron, go check if Harry can leave the hospital, and meet us in the bathroom" Kiba said as he and Hermione stood up. Ron nodded and stuffed more food in his mouth and the three of them left the hall.

Hermione sat on the ground in front of a bubbling cauldron in the second floor bathroom.

Ron entered and leaned against one of the cubicles while Harry swung around his healed arm behind him, Kiba sat with his back against the stone wall to Hermione's left with Myrtle floating beside him. "did Ron tell you?" Hermione asked

"He didn't have to, i was awake when they brought him in. But i have something even better" Harry said slnoe standing still beside Ron "Dobby visited me again"

"the house elf?" Kiba asked "the one that dropped a cake on your uncles boss?"

"business partner," Harry corrected him "but yeah him. He's the one that closed the barrier to platform 9 3/4, he's the one that set the Bludger on me"

"what, why?" Hermione asked as she dropped a few ingredients into the cauldron.

"He said that Hogwarts wasn't safe for me anymore, and that history was repeating itself" He started past everybody and out of one of the dirty windows. "Dumbledore also confined that the Chamber has been opened again"

"are you sure?" Kiba asked. To himself he sounded stupid, he of course knew it was his father that had opened the chamber when he was sixteen.

"positive" Harry replied. "so Kiba, are you staying this Christmas?"Kiba looked away from Harry and out the window as well. It took a little but eventually he shook his head. "so you won't be there when we interrogate Draco…"

"how exciting, i wish i had a group of friends with whom i could do sneaky things" Myrtle suddenly said from beside them

"well sulking in this bathroom isn't going to get you many friends" Ron replied harshly causing the ghost girl to dive into her toilet bowl with loud sobs and moans.

"you should really try to be more sensitive around girls, Ron" Hermione said causing the four of them to break out into uncontrollable laughter.

Evening had come and dinner was over. The tables and chairs in the great hall had vanished, and the ceiling reflected the cloudy night sky outside. Inn the centre of the hall was a thin catwalk. Wide enough for just one man. As expected Lockhart walked across it dressed in a fine suit for duelling. Kiba, like many others, didn't expect to learn much from Lockhart but Snape was there as well. Maybe he would at least teach them something. Couldn't Dumbledore have found someone better? "Now! Before we start, Professor Snape and I will demonstrate the correct way on how your stance must be like and how a wizards duel is done. Look at- yes, Mr Scamander?"

"Sir, what if the person you're trying to duel wants to kill you?" Kiba asked aloud.

"I do not understand your question, dear boy."

"I mean, if it's not a friendly duel exactly, then wouldn't trying to find the correct stance be a waste of time?"

"Well, that depends. Your muscle memory must be-"

"What if you had one leg, or one arm," interrupted Seamus. "Isn't that like an unfair advantage?"

"Mr Finnigan, I-"

"Or is it a fair advantage if they're better? What if you know that the other wizard is much more powerful then you are?"

"Quiet" Snape muttered with a slightly raised voice, all the chatter died down immediately.

"yes, thank you Professor Snape" Lockhart said looking over the students. "we will now demonstrate" he whipped out his wand and held it in front of his face "When you're ready, Severus!" Snape also held his wand in front of his face and then both professors lowered them quickly. Both turned around and stepped away from each other before turning to face each other again. Lockhart braced himself stylishly by spinning around like a ballet dancer. The girls swooned and were entranced by the celebrity's movements. Snape however simply mimicked an ancient swordsman, his legs slightly bent and his wand held like a sword. Opposed to Lockhart's perfect smile, Snape was on the verge of growling viciously. The air became tense as nobody moved. Wisps of cold air rhythmically escaped from the noses of the children, hanging on to every twitch from the professors.

"One..."

"This is going to be amazing! I feel so bad for Professor Snape!" Hermione whispered to Kiba.

"For Snape?!" Kiba whispered back.

"Two..."

"Did you even read his book? He once-"

"Forget the books, look at Snape's face! He wants to see blood!"

"I seriously doubt that." Hermione shot a worried glance towards Lockhart, Snape did look bloodhungry. 'But surely, Lockhart would come out on top, would he?'

"Three!"

Lockhart flicked his wand quickly as he tried to mutter a spell but Snape was even quicker. The Dark-haired professor aimed his wand straight to his opponent and bellowed, " _Expelliarmus_!", sending a brilliant stream of red to Lockhart, blasting him all the way over to the other side of the stage. The Slytherins applauded Snape as he curled his lip slightly at the sight of Lockhart being completely dazed. Some of the girls screamed while the Gryffindor boys snickered.

"Stop laughing! He could be hurt!" Hermione said shrilly as she tried to tiptoe above the crowding girls to see if Lockhart was okay. Kiba, Harry and Ron retained their laughter just slightly so that they could talk to the overly-anxious girl.

"who- haha cares!" replied Ron, Lockhart was far from hurt, he wonkily got to his feet and fixed his hair. After holding a short speech to explain why her hadn't defended himself he tried to draw the attention away from himself by telling everyone to form pairs. Snape however made a great effort to pair every Gryffindor with someone who wasn't their friend.

"there we are, Scamander!" Snape called and Kiba reluctantly came to this side. "this is your partner, don't try to swap and don't hurt each other!" Snape began gliding away and stopped to address Kiba again "i'm talking to you"

"yes professor," Kiba said. He waited for Snape to be far enough and explained that he wasn't going to hurt his partner who introduced himself as Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"So, Kiba. What do you think about the recent attacks?" Justin asked while he ruffled everywhere through his robes to find his wand.

"Why do you ask," replied the Parselmouth as he was already in his stance, his knees slightly bent, his arm stretched out to the side and his wand twirling in his right hand at waist hight. Justin was the last person Kiba would think that would suspect him as the person behind the attacks, so there was no reason to feel paranoid. Most likely an awkward attempt of small talk.

"Well, it is quite scary knowing that there's a monster in the castle, especially one that hunts Muggle-Borns like me. I mean, don't you think that Dumbledore or the Ministry of Magic ought to do something?"

"They're doing the best they can. If they couldn't find the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago, then nobody would expect them to find it now. The Heir of Slytherin is probably too scared to show his face again anyways."

"I guess. But isn't it obvious that the Heir is right here? Why haven't they interrogated all of the Slytherins to find the culprit?" asked Justin as he finally found his wand.

Kiba shrugged and the two were prepared for the practice duel. "Three... two... one!" Lockhart shouted. Justin attempted to hit Kiba with the same spell as Snape but Kiba narrowly ducked his head. He heard something hit the ground with a thud behind him, positive that Justin had hit someone else. He wasted no time and pointed his wand to Justin, thinking of any spell to use.

' _The Disarming Charm! No, Justin already used that. Maybe the Tickling Charm? Nah. How about..._ ' " _Ventus_!" Kiba aimed at Justin's hand to disarm him but misjudged the power of the wind that his wand released. The spell hit Justin and sent him flying high and then falling while he, and some who were watching, screamed in terror. The Hufflepuff landed with a loud thud and Kiba ran over immediately to check on him.

"disarm only, Mr. Scamander…" Lockhart shouted as he witnessed what happened "what part of that is so hard to understand" Together with Snape he rushed over to the boys. Luckily Justin seemed fine as he crawled away from Kiba and hid behind Lockhart.

"I tried to make his wand fly up but instead it must've hit him by mistake," justified Kiba. Snape shoved him to the side and stared at the Parselmouth angrily. The frightened Hufflepuff was clinging onto Lockhart as his eyes almost popped out from their sockets. He looked severely traumatised. "Justin, I'm-I'

"Get away from me!" Justin cried as he hid behind Lockhart. The rest of the club pointed fingers to Justin as they chuckled uncontrollably, the Slytherins especially. Kiba could see the embarrassment crawl onto Justin's face, desperately trying to wipe away the tears that he shed from being so high up. The young Heir attempted once more to reconcile with Justin but was a futile attempt on its own as the embarrassed boy walked away to his friends around the corner.

"Well. That escalated rather quickly. Anyways, we should..."

"That was bloody brilliant, Kiba!" Ron said

"no it wasn't," Kiba retaliated "he's Muggle-born, all this magic scares him still.. and i probably made it worse now"

"just try to be more careful next time, and apologize when no ones around" Hermione said. She rubbed her sides and explained what had happened to her. Apparently the Slytherin girl Millicent had resorted to magic rather then magic.

"Scamander!" Kiba hear Snape call loudly. The two professors stood on the stage again and Malfoy, as odd as it was, stood beside Lockhart. Snape stopped Kiba once he stood beside him on the stage and waited as Lockhart addressed the rest.

"now, let us witness these two young and gifted wizards face off" Lockhart said "let's see how they fare under pressure. Remember the goal is to disarm the opponent" Lockhart took Draco under his wing and began whispering to him while Snape loomed darkly behind Kiba.

"Um, Professor? Why did you choose me to duel Draco?" Kiba asked.

"Since Draco preferred Lockhart's advice i needed someone to show him that my advice is better then his" Snape said darkly "i think you are more then capable of taking on Mr. Malfoy. Now don't disappoint me out there, go on!" he pushed Kiba forwards and the two students stopped in the middle and mimicked what the professors had shown them.

"how you feelin', **Scamander**?"

"Excellent, **Malfoy** "

"alright, let's begin!" Lockhart said once the two of them had taken their stances, "One… Two…"

" _Everte Statum_!" Draco shouted as he flicked his wand towards Kiba. But Kiba was a step ahead and dogged the spell, knowing that Draco would try to pull something like that.

" _Aqua Eructo_!" Kiba bellowed sending a jet of water from the tip of his wand striking Draco in the chest. The Slytherin was infuriated and ignored Lockhart's reminder to use disarming spells only.

" _Serpensortia_!" Draco spoke aiming his wand to the floor releasing a Snake from its tip. Most of those who had been watching flinched and moved away but some were to shocked, some like Justin Finch-Fletchley. The Snake stuck out is forked tongue and turned it's attention to Justin. Kiba could stop it, but he didn't. Justin was a Mudblood, and Draco would be responsible of he was hurt. It hissed aggressively and showed it's fangs as it prepared to attack.

"Leave him!" Harry cried out loudly and the Snake obeyed instantly, snapping it's jaws shut and facing Harry. Harry smiled brightly, relieved that the snake had listened to him but his smile want returned. Everyone but his friends and Snape stared at him in shock, disgust and fear. But Hermione be looked worried, Ron confused and Kiba and Snape curious. But nobody understood like Kiba did, he was sure of it. The way Harry spoke was English but with something more… something Snakelike.

"Harry.. you're a Parselmouth?" Kiba stammered

"w.. What are y… you play… playing at?" Justin stuttered heavily "i… is this s… some… some kind of J.. Joke?!" He slowly backed away from Harry and everyone just stared, frozen from the staggering revelation. And then something clicked in Kiba's mind, something bad. He wasn't the only Parselmouth in the school.. and he wasn't the only one that knew.

Kiba looked at Hermione and her eyes met his, she seemingly thought the exact same. This was bad, very bad. Anxiety poked Kiba stomach as he looked at Harry. Justin would surely tell on him, and everyone would suspect Harry of the attacks, suspect him of being the heir… what if he is? Was Kiba perhaps related to Harry in some way? No it can't be.. can it? Kiba's mind was swimming, he didn't even realize that that everyone was leaving the hall nor did he realize that Hermione was pulling him along by the wrist.

They reached the common room and Ron instantly began interrogating Harry "How long have you been a Parselmouth?"

"what's a Parselmouth?" Harry asked, clueless of what had happened

"a Parselmouth is someone who can speak to Snakes" Kiba explained receiving a glance from Hermione

"oh that, I've been doing that for a while…" Harry said "well once. I set a boa constrictor on my cousin at the zoo. But why is everyone freaking out?"

"why is everyone freaking out?!" Ron repeated "there's a reason why Slytherin's symbol is a snake, Harry"

"this is bad Harry," Hermione added "Sslazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth.."

"and now everyone will think your his descendent and the 'heir'" Kiba said.

"but I'm not!" Harry said gripping his robes tightly "i.. can't be…" for all they knew he could be. Not even Kiba was sure if he was the only heir. He couldn't think straight at all anymore, his plans to frame Draco were ruined. His attacks were going to be blamed on his best friend.. what if the suspicion on Harry would lead them to the true heir of Salazar Slytherin? What if Kiba was pulled into the spotlight? He had to do something fast but-

Once again, Kiba's gaze met Hermione's and they remained fixed on each other. Kiba spotted that same worried and scared expression in her eyes that he had seen so often, but Hermione saw nothing. She stared into emotionless eyes, eyes that only showed weekday they wanted to show, when they want to show it. Somehow entranced by each other they remained silent when something happened that would break their trance.

A hint of scarlet flashed across the hazel eyes of the young Wizard, leaving Hermione confused and questioning weather it was real or a trick of the light.

' _what am i missing..?_ ' she thought to herself as she looked at the boy, who was no longer facing her, once more.

 **\--**

 **An:** wowzee, finished another one. phew now i feel like CoS is getting out of hand. But we're halfway through which means Christmas in the Muggle world! Kiba's gonna see Faye again.

 **Reminder** **:** **PM** me character suggestions with the information that you can find above chapter 1 and you can get a cameo or maybe even a returning role in the story. only through **PM** tho cuz it's actually against they rules as i have been told by **ZadArchie**. thanks again!

alright that's it from me, stay tuned and remember to review! K thx bye!


	20. Chapter 20: Break me Down

Chapter 20: Break me down

Even though his Birthday had long passed Kiba was still hoping for a card or a letter from Faye but to no avail. Barely anyone had remembered just Hermione and Lupin. And unlike usual he wasn't looking forward to the near celebration of Christmas, to be honest he didn't want to go back to Leverton's, he wanted to stay and fulfill the promise to his father. He sat in the dark common room that same night scribbling along the parchment.

'you have to kill him, as soon as you can'

'but won't that just raise suspicion on Harry?'

'Harry? Harry who?'

'Harry Potter, Father' Kiba wrote back 'He spoke Parseltongue during my duel with Draco.. that's why we can't frame Draco anymore'

'then frame Harry,' Tom answered quickly 'better him then my own blood' as Kiba went to write once more the diary slammed itself shut and wouldn't open anymore. But Kiba knew what to do, what he had to do. Slytherins duty.

"what's got you up this late, Kiba?" asked Harry as he descended the spiral staircase.

"my thoughts," Kiba replied looking at the black haired wizard. Harry smiled and saw something odd that stopped him for a second or two, were Kiba's irises… red?

"you write them down in that diary?" He asked carefully

"yeah, it's kinda weird but.. well the diary belonged to my father" Kiba said, her blinked and his irises returned to normal "when i write in this diary i feel like I'm talking to him, telling him how i feel" Harry watched closely, studying Kiba as he stared at the black book. "it's all i have that ever belonged to my Father" Kiba said "what's got you walking?"

"my thoughts" Harry replied "you're going to think I've gone mad…"

"i think we're beyond madness anyways. So what is it?" Kiba had time to spare and wasn't in a rush to go to bed. He and Harry walked over and sat on the sofa, in front of the fireplace that burned brightly. Harry rubbed his eyes until they were fully open and stared into the fire that licked the everlasting wood gently. The young heir could see trouble and fear in his green eyes but did not say anything.

"i don't know, maybe it's because of the attacks but i've been hearing these... voices recently. I don't know who, what or where they are, but they all sound so real, so similar. Like, the first time I heard it, was upstairs in the dorm room. It sounded familiar but I couldn't... And on Nick's Deathday party at Halloween, we left to go back to the Great Hall when I heard it again, in the halls. Right before we found Filch and Mrs. Norris on the second floor. Not only that, but when I was in the hospital wing after the match, I heard them again. It was different from the last one though. It sounded almost... human. And that was when Colin was found as well."

"and you think?"

"what if it's me?"

"if it was you then you'd know right?" Kiba asked "and how would you have attacked Colin from the hospital bed?"

"it sounds crazy, but think about it" Harry said "during he sorting, the hats first choice for me was Slytherin, and now i know I'm a Parselmouth, what if just the presence of 'the heir' opens the chamber"

"i don't think so," Kiba replied

"i think I'm going insane," Harry said "do you remember, last year at the end of term you told me that –"

"i killed Quirrell.. yes, i remember" Kiba answered darkly

"well, before i fainted i felt something, like a spirit or a soul push through me" Harry said, "and i think it was Voldemort, leaving Quirrell's body to survive in mine until he could use me"

"use you?" Kiba asked "He wanted to kill you, if he was inside your body he'd have killed you a year ago"

"maybe he wanted to destroy my reputation by overtaking my body when it sleeps to open the chamber?"

"Harry, you need to calm down." Kiba said. Once again Harry saw the red shimmer in his irises, was it the fires reflection? "you're overthinking this, you're stressed and worried. Those things pile up and get to your head" Kiba said as his eyes returned to their usual hazel once again "just relax, take a long nap. And don't blame yourself, you're not possessed and i wouldn't believe you if you said you were the heir" he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and told him goodnight before he headed up the stairs with the diary under his arm leaving Harry to stare at fire.

"he's right, i can't think straight.. but what if i am somehow behind all of this.. should i turn myself in?"

Kiba entered the dungeon that had become so familiar to him the next day and released the Basilisk, ordering it to use the pipes to stay undetected. He climbed out of the central pipe which proved difficult. The slime made it hard to find a grip and there were few ledges to hang onto, but after a while he reached the top. As he cleaned himself off after closing the entrance the door swung open and in stepped a bushy haired girl "Kiba," she said "what are you doing here?"

"i was going to check on the potion but, uhm" Kiba replied "Myrtle dove into the toilet and sprayed me" he lied quickly. "but seeing as you're here," he added heading for the door "I'll leave you to it, I'll be in the common room"

"wait," but Hermione was to late, he had walked off in search for his victim. Justin Finch-Fletchley. He reached the fifth floor and there he saw him, paranoid and scared… and alone.

"Justin!" Kiba called out. The boy looked up and froze in fear. Kiba walked over to him holding his hands behind his back with his wand behind his right ear as usual.

"S… Stay..y Aw..away!" he stuttered in return. "I'm onto you, and Harry as well!" he suddenly added without stuttering "you hitting me and Harry sending that snake onto me, it's no coincidence. Where is Harry? hiding around the corner with a larger snake?" Kiba was surprised by the boys sudden courage, and smirked when he unknowingly made a correct assumption.

"Calm down, I've got nothing of the sorts." Kiba said showing him his empty hands "i came to-"

"to kill me?" Justin asked fearfully "i can see it clearly. You aren't normal, and neither is Harry. I remember that you were almost put in Slytherin, yeah, i know everything" Kiba chuckled "funny is it? Kiba neck twitched slightly as he felt a certain hatred creep up his spine.

"be careful what you say next" Kiba replied threatningly

"we're not scared of you," said another Hufflepuff that stepped around the corner with a raised wand. "the others might not see it, but we do. You're a Monster, lurking in the shadows. You're probably the one behind the attacks aswell"

"Ernie, i came here to apologize, formally, for what happened during our duel" Kiba said softly

"Bullshit! You came here to kill him, and that's why we reported you and Potter to McGonagall" Ernie spat

"You did what?!" Kiba asked. His blood was fuming, he wanted to kill the two right there and then, but Ernie wad the first to fire. Kiba narrowly avoided the jinx ave watched as the two ran, he sensed the nearby presence off the Basilisk and hissed.

"Kill them, kill them both!"

Kiba felt the Basilisk hurtle through the stone walls at such dangerous speeds, rattling the hanging photos that were vacant of any inhabitants. Anger still pulsated through his veins as Kiva wanted to see his work complete. He wanted to see the dead Hufflepuffs lie under his feet, correct in life but unheard in death. He wanted to see it so bad but he knew what it would cost him.

Kiba ran back to the second floor bathroom, trying to shake off the rage that he had experienced right there. In that moment, it felt so... wrong. Like it never came from him but from somewhere else. From the past attacks, Kiba never had this sensation sit in his stomach like a painful, indigestible stone. He pushed the bathroom door open and walked over to the central sinks, twisting the taps instantly to wash his face with cold water. Kiba splashed his face thoroughly, cooling himself so that he could think better. Inhale, exhale, he gripped the sides of the sink while breathing heavily. He slowly lifted his chin to look at his reflection. Moving from the scar on his chin over to his nose and up to his Scarlet, Snakelike irises.

He retreated from the mirror quickly and tripped over something and feel to his back with a painfull thud. His eyes, what was wrong with them. The irises itself had been red and what were supposed to be his pupils were inhuman slits. During his fall his leg hag connected with something hard that he soon realized to be Hermione's nose. "Hermione! What the fuck is wrong with me, I'm so stupid!" Hermione didn't respond as she silently held her face in pain. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." The sounds of Hermione's sobs pierced him with regret as he wiped his wet hair to the side to clear his vision.

"Hermione, please get up! Please! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I was... please, say something!" Silence. "Hermione? Hermion I- ARGGHHHHH!" The pain had returned again. It had returned, and it punished the boy for feeling any regret towards harming Hermione. It tore through his mind and soul as it dragged him into the hellish depths of suffering and anguish itself. Every inch of skin, sliced and scorched untill he couldn't take it anymore. ' _l didn't kill anyone! I didn't kill anyone! I didnt..._ '

Hermione came to his side and tried to console him while attempting to fight off her own pain which resulted in a bloodied nose, but all of that had been for nothing. The Parselmouth's screams were silenced as he slumped to the ground like a dead man, unresponsive to Hermione's screams of horror... she looked at his eyes before they closed and saw the terror and bloodlust that his usual hazel would hide. Kiba's eyes shut and he lay still for a few minutes. "Kiba please, wake up… please!" she saw something beside him then, a black leather book that he carried around everywhere. She grabbed it and examined it finding the golden name on its back "Tom Marvolo Riddle…" she muttered. Kiba suddenly groaned and shifted slightly, she dripped the book and leaned back over him "Kiba are you awake? You're scaring me, please wake up"

Kiba's eyes opened and they had returned to his usual hazel irises "Hermione… I'm.. so.. sorry" he said softly. He saw the diary that lay beside Hermione and looked at it with unease. He knew what had happened. Somehow his father had punished him, thorough the diary somehow, when he realized who Hermione was… what she is. The diary had caused him to scream out in pain. Hermione followed his eyes and stared at the diary like it was the foulest object on the earth, it gave her a unnatural feeling.

"what is that diary doing to you?" she asked

"the diary? It can't do anything, it's a normal diary" the boy said sitting upright

"i see you with that thing everywhere, obsessing over it" Hermione said "i know who you are, it's consuming you"

Kiba visibly frowned "i told you…" he said "it's a regular old diary"

"Then you won't mind if i take look" Hermione reached for the diary, but somehow Kiba was faster, grabbing the diary as he stood up. "Kiba, give me the diary"

"no.."

"i said give me.." she said reaching for the diary

"and i said, No." Kiba replied pulling it away

"GIVE ME-"

"NO!"

Kiba was in deep trouble, the girl could see it when she looked at his face. His unusually pale face, his checks that had sunk into his skull and his extremely skinny body. Kiba usually looked healthy though slightly pale but none of that was left, and the hazel in his eyes didn't have it's usual sting and warmth.. no this wasn't Kiba, this was someone else entirely. The Muggle-born stepped towards the frail boy and he backed away to the central sinks fearing she was still after the diary. "Kiba please, I'm your friend. Please just tell me what to do, let me help you"

"help me?" Kiba asked with a sudden hint of anger "Help me? What the-. What? Do i have a fucking sign on my back that says 'save me'?" Kiba shouted as he raised his voice loudly

"No-" Hermione replied softly

"does it look like i need that? Do you think i want that?"

"No, i just want to –" she said softly once more, his voice was somehow frightening her, the tone in which he yelled

"STOP BULLSHITTING ME!"

"i- "

"STOP. BULSHITTING ME‼"

"I LOVE YOU!" she blurted out and suddenly, there was silence. Kiba stood before her panting heavily as the argument had suddenly drained most of his energy. Hermione looked at the boy as tears rolled down her checks, she once again saw his eyes had turned scarlet leaving only slits as pupils and it all began to make sense to her. The attacks, the diary, Kiba's restlessness and the transformation his body had been going through ' _No.. no! not him, not Kiba.. it can't be.. he'd nev-_ ' she closed her eyes and sobbed quietly. She rubbed her misty eyes and felt a hand suddenly lift her face, she opened her eyes and saw Kiba's usual hazel had returned.

"what's wrong? Is it your nose? It's still bleeding.." Kiba pulled out a handkerchief and tried to clean some of the blood but Hermione stopped him.

' _did he seriously not remember what just happened, or is he toying with me?_ ' Hermione asked herself as she eyed the boy carefully. "don't try to change the subject, Kiba"

"what subject?" he asked with sincere confusion "i just offered to help, your dripping blood all over your shirt"

"tell me why you always have that diary with you, please"

"Hermione… I-"

"please just tell me and I'll drop it, i won't ask anymore. Just please, tell me." Hermione's eyes were still watery as she and Kiba looked at the diary. He felt conflicted, part of him wanted to tell her the truth and another told him to tell her a sob-story while a third part of him wanted to keep her in the dark completely. He felt something from the diary spread into his body from his arm which once again heated his blood, and increased his heartbeat significantly. He couldn't tell her that his father was actually inside the diary.. He couldn't.

"it belonged to my father, when he was at Hogwarts.." Kiba said hoping she would not ask how he got it "i was kind of overwhelmed, you know.. i don't have much to remember my parents by. This is the only thing i have that lets me feel close to my father, and as for my mother.. i have an old picture –"

"and a letter" Hermione said, "you told me about it on the train" curious.. Kiba had all but forgotten about the letter he was supposed to have received a year ago.

"Yes," Kiba replied "this… is the only thing i have left of my father" Hermione remained silent as did Kiba, hoping that the story would draw the Muggle-borns attention away from him.

Hermione hesitated to speak, she forced herself not to tell him that he was lying to her, she knew he was. He was lying with a straight face, and she didn't say anything. He was almost certainly the heir of Slytherin, and she didn't say anything. She could stop all the horror right there and now, but she didn't say anything. She stood there with her emotionless gaze knowing that he might take her as his next victim, but she didn't say a damn thing. But why was she holding back? She could save all the Muggle-borns in the castle and herself and she would be praised for it, where had her desire to do good gone? Every rational decision would be to report him to the headmaster, right? Why then did she not move? Why did she not speak?

"Kiba, I ha-" Hermione began but a deafening scream stopped her, immediately her feet moved to the door as the noise echoed through ther halls and the bathroom wrenching Kiba's stomach because of what he had done. The two made their way up the stairs to the third floor where the scream had come from and pushed their way through the crowd that had formed at the scene. But neither were prepared for the horrendous sight, not even Kiba had expected this. Not just one body lay on the floor, and not just two like Kiba had intended. No, there were four. Ernie, Justin, nearly headless Nick and a Silver haired girl. Justin and Ernie weren't hard to recognize, mirrored from their bodies, robes and fear ridden faces. Kiba rubbed his temple as he wondered how they had survived. Nick was a little harder to recognize because of his darkened shade, he hung in mid-air slowly rotating like a dead body hanging by its neck. It took Kiba a little longer to sort the name to the third face that lay stiff on the floor. However unlike the other three there was no fear on her face, it was more a look off confusion, somehow she seemed so oddly out of place.

"Luna.." Kiba sighed quietly before everything turned to chaos. The crowd began to panic as everyone frantically darted their heads around to see if the monster was lurking in the shadows, ready to devour the swarm of children, and some tried to run for their life's as they knocked over who ever was in their way. McGonagall arrived to the scene promptly, quieting the entire crowd with a swift swipe of a wand and ordered everyone to return to their dorms. As Kiba walked back to the common room with guilt stabbing at his heart and his very existence, Kiba hung his head low in fear of what his father would say to him. Tom had delivered pain beyond horror from just a mere diary. What else was he capable of? The young Heir started to feel dizzy, trying to keep his balance to avoid crashing into floor for everyone else to see. Justin's and Ernie's mangled bodies painted horrific images in his mind tormenting his soul and snapping his sanity, piece by piece...

"Jesus, Kiba! your zoning out again, I've been calling you for so long!" The Parselmouth bent over as Hermione came to his aid with Ginny by her side. He held his chest as it became harder to breath again, his lungs unable to absorb the sufficient oxygen needed to stay conscious. Kiba wheezed loudly, unable to keep focused for so long. Everything was spiralling, blurred and disfigured. He felt the diary that had been holding so tightly slip from his grasp and he felt like…

 **THUD**!

"Kiba!" both girls screamed

"my diary…" Kiba said in a mere whisper as his eyes slowly opened. "where's my diary?" he asked

"hush now Mister Scamander," replied Madam Pomfrey as she tended to the petrified Hufflepuffs "stay in bed, you need to rest"

"but my diary" Kiba was sure he had it when he fainted, no he dropped it just before he did. Someone must've taken it, someone who knew it existed. "Hermione has it.. she has my diary and i need it" Kiba sat upright and got out of the hospital bed immediately breaking down to his knees and hands as he tried to stand.

"Mister Scamander!" Pomfrey cried out as she rushed over to put the boy back into the bed "you stay in this bed now and sleep" she said in a demanding tone.

"please.. i need… my… dia-" she watched as the Gryffindor fell into slumber once more remaining entirely still. She examined his body once more and couldn't believe it still. He looked deathly ill, like he had neglected food for weeks. His skeleton was starting to show underneath his skin and the gash he had on his check from his fall when he fainted wasn't healing as it should. She felt uneasy as she looked upon the boy.. something had done this to him, something inside the castle… something near. She could feel it. She returned to the petrified students but kept a watchful eye on the Parselmouth as his chest ever so slightly lifted itself as he drew slow and silent breaths.

Meanwhile in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione sat in one of the red arm chairs and dug her nails in to the fabric of its armrest as she stared silently into the dancing flames of the fireplace. Usually she'd be asleep at this time but she was entranced by the unusual coldness of the flames and the common room itself, in her mind she played the scene in the bathroom again and again, everytime hoping that she could change her suspicion, that she'd find a scenario where Kiba wasn't guilty. It had to be true. She didn't want it to be, she never did. But it had to. She wanted to be proven wrong, but it was no use. She knew.

The diary had remained unfound ever since Kiba had passed out, not that Hermione necessarily needed or wanted it, but it would've benefited her. All she remembered was Kiba coughing blood over Snape's robes as he carried him away, by that time the diary had vanished. Something was missing however… something crucial… something.

"Hermione, he'll be okay" said Harry as he sat down beside her. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, by his expression one could tell that he too was distressed by his friends condition. "Madam Pomfrey will have him fixed in no time"

"but will she?" Hermione asked brushing her hair out of her face "don't you see? Kiba is not okay, he hasn't been for a while. He's not the Kiba i know anymore, and it's been on my mind for so long. I tried to keep it buried deep but it's crawling out now"

"what is it Hermione?" Hermione thought for a moment. Wondering if it was wise to tell Harry what she knew, would it ruin them? Their friendship? "Hermione?"

"it was something in his eyes," Hermione began "i thought it was my mind, but he wad really angry with me and i could've sworn that… his eyes –"

"-were red?" Hermione whipped her head towards Harry and looked at him. He knew? How, when? "i saw it too, after we had discovered that I'm a Parsel," Harry explained "i saw him writing in his diary, and at the time i thought it might have been the fires reflection"

"yes… he's gotten thinner.. and his face was so… pale" Hermione said "it looked like he was dying, Harry. And it's all because of that diary!" she turned back to the fire and pulled her knees up to her head.

"I've noticed that too.." Harry said as comforting as he could "He told me that it made him feel close to his dad but the way he looked at it was.. it wasn't right. Her really meant it Aswell, he… Hermione?"

The Muggle-born had her head leaned against her knees, tears streamed from her closed eyes. She remained still and didn't answer Harry, she didn't even bother to wipe her tears away. "Hermione? Why are you crying? Hermione?! What's wrong?" Hermione sat hypnotized by the dancing flames and Harry had to move in front of her to revive her attention "is it about Kiba?" he asked softly "it is isn't it..?"

"yes…" she whispered

"tell me what it is…"

"I-"

"Hermione… please…"

"I think –"

"yes..?"

"i think Kiba… is the Heir of Slytherin…"

 **AN:** Holy macaroni. 20 Chapters. 70164 words. and were halfway through book 2... it's been tough. I've actually been planning allot about GoF and OotP, so much in fact that i forgot about PoA but alas. the story will change drastically from the original from here on out. GoF is gonna have a bigger tournament with more schools and OotP will be an absolute joy to write. lookin' forward to getting there after i figured out how i want PoA to go down.

Remember PM me Characters and review the story and tell me what you think about it. all criticism is welcome!


	21. Chapter 21: Echoes of a Broken Mind

Chapter 21: Echoes of a Broken Mind

Kiba awoke from his slumber slowly, gradually opening his painfully heavy eyelids to view the surroundings. Madam Pomfrey was no where in sight and Kiba didn't even know what day, hour or month it was anymore, all that he knew was that it was around Christmas time. The walls and windows were decorated with everything Christmas and the thick snow could be seen everywhere. The young heir felt cold and he himself couldn't understand how he had lost so much mass, he had eaten, plenty… maybe he'd been asleep for a while. He looked towards the bedside table and saw a wrapped box, a present.. so it was Christmas… or had been…

The doors of the hospital swung open and Dumbledore entered followed by McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey. Kiba closed his eyes and pretended to still be sleeping and quietly listened in on their conversation. "there he is," Madam Pomfrey said worryingly as the three stepped over to him. "i don't know what it is Headmaster, but he isn't getting better. In fact, he's getting worse by the day"

"Worse?" McGonagall asked expressing a never seen amount of worry "is he dying?"

"No. Kiba is not dying, not on my watch" Pomfrey said. Kiba felt a hand touch his forehead softly then again on his chest.

"His body is failing him" he heard Dumbledore say with a sigh "He might make it.." Dumbledore paused as his hand caressed the boys chest "Minerva, please meet me after the feast" he said in an urgent tone before leaving the room. Kiba slowly opened his eyes, acting as though he'd been asleep.

"oh my dear, you're awake- here let me help you" Madam Pomfrey helped him sit upright against the beds backboard. "Merry Christmas dear" she said

"Merry Christmas, Madam Pomfrey and you too Professor" Kiba replied

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Scamander" McGonagall said with a smile, "I'll leave you to eat, i hope you recover well"

"Thank you, Professor" she turned on her heels and left the hospital with quick steps and the doors shut behind her. "what's wrong with me, Madam?"

"here," the nurse said handing Kiba a bowl of porridge "you need to eat" Kiba reluctantly grabbed the bowl and lifted a spoonful of the food to his mouth. His mouth was dry and the movement of his arm only send a searing pain through his bones. He couldn't even enjoy the substance that eventually made it's way to his hurting stomach. "that's it, nice and slow"

"I'm really… thirsty" Kiba said gulping down more porridge. She quickly turned to her trolley and handed him a goblet of pumpkin juice which the desperate boy gulped down quickly. He breathed heavily after finishing the goblet. Somehow the distance to the diary damaged him, he was in agony in both body and mind. The diary had become a part of him, and she took it away. She had his father and most likely didn't even know, and ther heir was desperate to get it back. He had to get it back.

Kiba brought another spoon of porridge to his mouth but stopped as glanced once more at the single present beside his bed. "who visited me?"

"Ah, well there was Miss Patil, i think Parvati was her name. Then there was another two girls from Gryffindor, Miss Dunbar, who also brought this present and Miss Brown" The witch replied

"only them?" Kiba asked, his heart sank.. not a single one of the trio had visited..

"no wait, there were two more. Mister Malfoy and another Slytherin Girl visited, though both fled once i returned" she said with a chuckle "but that needn't worry you dear, you just eat up now" Kiba sat in silence. Draco had visited him, and he wasn't even close to Kiba, yet he came unlike Hermione. Hermione… it was coming back to him now, what he had done, what the diary had done to him because of how he felt for Hermione. "you don't have all day to finish that bowl, Mr. Scamander"

"I-" Kiba set they bowl onto his table and held his pained stomach "i don't feel so good.." He muttered

"wait sweetheart, I'll-" she headed for her trolley but was to late, the vomit that had threatened the boys throat came shooting out along with some blood as Kiba lurched to the side. The woman shrieked internally but rushed to the parselmouth's side as he fell back onto his pillow. He groaned in pain and his entire bloody shuddered, he feared that he might be dying. "stay with me Kiba, don't you dare slip away!"

"i-…"

"Kiba! Stay with me" Madam Pomfrey said with trembling eyes "you will not die! You hear me?!"

His head was spiralling and his consciousness was slipping again.. maybe for good this time.. He could only think about how Faye and Lucy would never know how or why he had disappeared. Faye.. Hermione and the oth- "ARRRGHHH!" he screamed out in pain as he was one again punished for his thoughts, his stomach turned violently and his brain felt like it would explode at any second. ' _i need it, i need the diary. She has it… Hermione has it, Hermione has my diary and i need it back! She doesn't know.. he'll kill her!_ '

"Kiba? Can you hear me?" Madam Pomfrey asked, worry written all over her expression. But Kiba had completely fallen into the horrid abyss of his twisted mind, not acknowledging her presence until she shook him lightly. He blinked a few times at her and sighed.

"sleep.." He whispered as he closed his eyes.

"of course dear, whatever you need" she tugged him in and watched as he turned to his side. She soon left him and he opened his eyes. Something dark crossed his mind and he heard it, something he hadn't heard for a long time.

' _come Kiba, seek me!_ ' a voice that wasn't his echoed through his mind.

' _go away! Get out of my head!_ ' Kiba shouted back internally

' _how do you treat your guests? You let me in, and now you want to kick me out?_ '

' _I never let you in!_ '

' _oh but you did!_ ' the voice said slyly, Kiba knew immediately who it was, it must be Tom Riddle. His Father had infected his mind, and the separation from the diary was driving the young heir mad. ' _Come seek me!_ '

Kiba bolted upright and sat. He had a plan that could have a disastrous outcome if he was caught. He rose from his bed, completely silent in the dead hospital wing. Not even the whirls of the snow outside could penetrate the windows as the only noise that could be heard was the thunderous beat of Kiba's heart. Draped in his pyjamas and a thin white blanket, he stepped away from his bed, and stood in the centre of the wing. All seven of his victims surrounded him like demons who had arrived to drag him to his doom. Only they were still and silent. Each one displayed a permanent face of horror, probably petrified to the very soul. He walked over to each one in order, gazing upon each moonlit face, somehow unable to feel regret. Kiba couldn't find anything near remorse to seeing Colin stuck in his petrified state. Not even a single shred, not even for Mrs. Norris or Luna. The diary had twisted him into such darkness, that he was incapable of feeling affection anymore. A hollowed out boy, overdosed with hate and anger. He needed the diary. He needed to find Tom before it was too late.

He pushed the heavy hospital doors open just enough to squeeze through so that the screeching of the metal hinges wouldn't alert anyone. He walked unsteadily, holding on to what ever he could find to avoid falling over, and peaking around every corner in case a Teacher or Prefect came along. The stone corridors were colder then ever and icicles had formed on the ceiling and arches, reflecting the moonlight like a path for the Parselmouth to follow. He ascended the many steps that led to the desired location, Gryffindor Tower. Kiba was lucky that the password hadn't been changed and he entered through the portrait hole and the warm air felt like a healing charm to his shivering bones.

The small entrance hole was pitch black but the common room was dimly lit by the fire in the fireplace. Kiba wanted to step into the light and direct warmth of the fire but stopped when he heard footsteps and a voice "Harry? Are you down here?" Kiba was sure that it had been Hermione's voice followed shortly by Harry's and Ron's voices as they also came down the spiral staircase.

"Why'd you want us to meet you here anyways?" asked Ron sleepily

"because of what i told you earlier today" Hermione replied "what are we going to do?"

"I still think it's Bullshit," Ron said "i mean, He's our friend!"

"He lied to us Ron," Harry said "and you heard what Draco said"

"i know Draco isn't the heir, but Kiba? It's ridiculous. I won't believe it, Hermione you were with him when Justin was attacked!" Kiba's heart sank, not only did they know he was the heir, but they had told each other and that means they could tell others. But was that the reason that they hadn't visited him in the hospital? Because they knew it had been him all along, and that he purposely forced them onto a wrong path to avoid suspicion?

"he's been lying all year, to us, to McGonagall.. to the entire school" Hermione said "every time we asked what's wrong, or about the diary, he would get mad and lie to our faces. He turned away from us.. his friends. And it all makes sense now!" Hermione switched between several wild emotions as she spoke which made Kiba feel bad. He hadn't realised what he was putting her through.

"But it can't be… not him… not Kiba, he's supposed to be our friend…" Ron stammered, hesitating to accept the truth that was shielded by their friendship. But Kiba suddenly felt nothing, like a great vacuum inside him had sucked away all the emotions he could have possibly felt as he watched from the dark entrance.

"i wanted to be wrong, i really did…" Hermione said weakly "maybe, we can convince him to turn himself over"

"or we tell Dumbledore" Ron suggested

"no," Harry shot back "if we turn him in then he'll be punished, no doubt. But, if he turns himself over for what he did, then he might… i don't know"

"He might just get expelled and not send to Azkaban?" Ron finished

"yeah, whatever Azkaban is-"

"it's a Wizard Prison"

"… point is, we don't want him imprisoned" Harry said

"to be honest, i don't want him expelled either" Hermione added "they'll snap his wand in two and he will be set back to Muggles for ever"

"but we have to convince him to turn himself in" Ron said once more "and i think you should do it"

"what, me? Convince him?" Hermione asked "so he can attack me when i tell him that we know what he's done? Are you mad?! I'm a Muggle-born, he wouldn't even hesitate"

"out of the three of us you are closest to him" Harry said "He won't hurt you" Hermione looked to the fire and sighed.

"i guess i can tr-" Hermione began but was cut off by the sound of the portrait slamming shut. The three were stunned by the idea of their conversation being overheard. The sound of Kiba's bare feet hitting the stone floor echoed through the corridors as he sprinted back to the hospital, ignoring the pain in his bones. He slipped through the door and jumped into his bed and covered himself entirely with the sheets, trying to force himself to sleep.

But sleep didn't come easy, he was constantly reminding himself that he had no friends, that his short time at Hogwarts would come to an end with him being sent to Azkaban. He would never graduate and he'd never see his friends at Leverton's again, and they wouldn't even know what happened to him. Lucy, Jakob, Madam Helaway and… Faye… the last name broke his heart and his psyche was being pulled apart, he hadn't really talked to her, she hadn't responded to his letters.. and now he'd never send one again… it was all Tom's fault, that foul, evil and hateful Riddle. He would go to prison because of him, his own fucking father!

' _I don't want to go, i want to stay, i want to become a great wizard.._ '

The boy awoke late the next day from his slumber, unsatisfied by the coldness of the hospital. Unlike last year, the icicles on the windows resonated no joy in the Parselmouth. He carefully sat on the edge of his bed and grabbed the red box with the red and gold ribbon from his bedside and opened it. Inside was a Christmas hat and underneath a few sweets, mainly Pumpkin pasties and jelly slugs along with a card. The present was from Fay, and the card was a simple Christmas card that told him 'Merry Christmas, hope you get well soon' and the there was another card that previously lay underneath the present which was similar but from Pervati. He ate one of the jelly slugs and it lifted his spirit for just a moment before Madam Pomfrey entered and told him that he could return to his dorm and attend the feast. "but, should you feel I'll you come straight here" she added. Kiba nodded and reluctantly headed for the Gryffindor common room. He didn't want to be there, not after what he had heard them say, but maybe he could find a way to sneak into the girls dorm to get his diary back..

He entered the common room and headed straight for his dorm where he saw an envelope by his bed. He looked at the card and saw that it was from lupin along with a discount coupon for a broom shop in Diagon Alley. He placed his sweets down and sat on his bed, sighing heavily. He closed his eyes and for a moment he felt cold, very cold, but the warmth of the dorm returned once he opened his eyes again. He dressed himself and headed for the great Hall where the feast had already begun. He saw Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting together but they didn't look at him, they hastily whispered at each other so Kiba decided to sit down next to Parvati and across from Fay.

"Kiba!" Parvati said in Surprise

"you're finally out of the hospital!" Fay added. "how are you feeling?"

"like shit" Kiba said as he began piling his plate with food. "thanks for your concern" he added putting on the best smile he could.

"I see you found my present," Fay said referring to the Christmas hat on the boys head "you like it?"

"yeah," Kiba said after gulping down some pumpkin juice "it's a perfect fit"

The three continued eating while Parvati somehow managed to talk on "So. Are you coming back to the common room tonight? The twins want to share something with us"

"I-.. i don't know, honestly" Kiba said "i might just stay here or go to the library"

"Aww, come on. Why would you go anywhere else? Don't you want to be with Harry, Ron and Hermione?" Kiba didn't respond as he seemingly drowned himself in thought, trying to think of a clever way to retrieve his diary, somehow.. there has to be a way. "Kiba?"

"I'll come up," Kiba said distantly "Promise" the girls grinned brightly and continued eating. As stupid as that promise might have sounded Kiba knew that there diary was in the Gryffindor tower, his father's diary. It was the only way to get it back, maybe he could sneak into the girls dorm while the twins did what ever they do.

The dinner was soon over and desserts took it's place and soon disappeared as well which meant that all students were to head for their common rooms. "Ahem, Mister Scamander!" McGonagall's voice rung through the hall and Kiba reluctantly made his way to her. She stood a little away from the teachers table and waited for the boy "The headmaster requests that you visit him tomorrow morning before breakfast begins, it is.. urgent"

"I'll be there, good night professor"

Kiba joined Parvati and Fay and the three headed for the Gryffindor common room where they eventually parted ways. The boy entered his dorm and got dressed in some casual clothes he grabbed a piece of parchment, a feather and a bottle of ink and headed for the door again. Without a word Kuzon flapped his wings and flew after the boy setting himself down on his shoulder. He made his way through the crowd that was eagerly awaiting Fred and George's announcement and sat down at one of the few tables.

'Dear Faye' he wrote 'i was very sick and couldn't write a Christmas letter on time so I'll do it now. Merry Christmas' he continued writing without paying attention to his surroundings, he barely noticed when a finger touched his arm. He looked up and saw Hermione's bushy hair accompanied by a worried expression. "Hermione?"

"are you okay?" the girl asked softly

"fine" the boy replied in monotone as he dipped his feather in his ink.

"i saw you were at dinner today, it's good to see you eati-"

"What do you want?" he asked slightly angrily unable to control himself.

"I.. I know Kiba" Hermione said quietly

"you.. Kno-" Hermione's eyes began to redden as tears threatened to flow, and Kiba sat motionless as ink dropped to his parchment slowly creating a black puddle. "i know what you did.."

"What did i do? Did i hurt someone or steal something? Did i say something mean?" Kiba saw tears flowing down the girls cheek but she remained quiet trying not to sob loudly for all the common room to hear

"you're doing it again," Hermione said "why do you have to lie to me all the time? I know it was you that Att-" the sudden sound of Kiba's feather snapping in two stopped her as the boys fist tightened. His neck twitched and his eyes remained closed for a few seconds and his head shook slightly. Kiba felt a sudden bloodlust clouding his mind, he tried to stop it to think clearly but he could only listen to Hermione's words "I.. I know you're a Parselmouth, i know that you wanted to find the chamber of secrets ever since you decided to help me. I know that you are obsessed with Salazar Slytherin to the point that you asked Draco to lend you a book from the Slytherin common room" she paused for a moment and too a deep but shaky breath "a-.. and i know.. that you're.. the heir of Slytherin"

Kiba's eyes shot open wide and too Hermione's relief revealed his usual Hazal. But his eyes were fixed on something Hermione couldn't see in a panic. "Kiba? Kiba, can you hear me? Kiba!" she sat down beside him trying to stay as quiet as possible. Luckily everyone was still to busy watching Fred and George. She shook the boy slightly and he blinked once "what is it?"

"You need.. Leave me… please" he said quietly as he continued starting at nothing

"I'm not leaving, talk to me!" she forced him to look at her. For a moment their eyes met and it was almost funny how his eyes apparently said everything that his mouth didn't.

Hermione's saw nothing but a scared, fearful, broken boy who had been heavily damaged. Her looked tortured and beaten down, like how mind had been completely destroyed. She didn't see the evil, the bloodlust and malicious intend beneath his irises.

"Hermione…" he whispered. No matter how hard Hermione tried to not let him for her again like he'd done so many times she couldn't help herself, desperately wishing for the boy to let her in just this once.

"Kiba? Talk to me.. please. Do you need help? Is it… just tell me!" she pleaded frantically but silently.

"… going to… K-Kill… y-…you" The young heir said through pauses as his head slowly turned back to its former position and his eyes once again stared at nothing.

"Who? What? Talk to me, just this once" the girl pleaded as she saw the boy break down further, she grabbed his hands which were thin and cold and tried to get him to look at her again

"He'll.. hurt you.." the boy said. Kiba tried to focus on the side touch of Hermione's hands because they eased the strain of Tom's influence. "I need.. the.. diary"

"I'll get it for you. Where is it?" Hermione replied quickly hoping she could take the object away from the boy

"you don't.. have it?" Kiba asked, suddenly looking at the girl. She shook her head and held his hands tighter but he suddenly pulled his hands away and grabbed his belongings "I… I shouldn't have.. Told... Stay away from me.. before I… I, hurt you" the girl watched as he walked slowly and unsteadily towards the spiral staircase, looking one last time at what she didn't see before ascending it. She didn't understand what he said no matter how hard she tried, had he gotten so obsessed with the diary that he referred to it as 'He'? was he even telling the truth or was he long again.

She sat alone at the table, silently weeping... silently.. screaming.

Kiba fell onto his bed and shut the curtains. He buried his face into his pillow trying not to imagine again what he saw in the common room behind Hermione.

That Face… His Face… among all the Gryffindors… and his horrid smile as his Scarlett eyes stared into his very soul. Egging him on, mouthing the simple phrase 'Kill the Mudblood' .. over… and over… and over again.

' _Seek me! Kiba…_ ' the voice of Tom echoed in his mind

' _Kiiiiiiiibaaaaaa… Riiiiiddelllll…_ '

\--

 **AN: well.. it's been a good while. i broke my old phone but accidently dropping it out of my pocket from a 5 foot high stage...**

 **was scared that I'd lost my entire collection of stories but i was able to recover it to my PC which was a absolute blessing.**

 **I got a new phone now and finally finished this chapter.**

 **hope you all are still enjoying the story and remember that you can PM/DM me your character to be featured in future chapters!**

 **leave a Review!**

 **Thx and till the next chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22: I'm sorry

**Chapter 22: I'm sorry**

The Christmas break had come to an end and classes had started again, as well as Quidditch. Harry and Ron hadn't been doing much with Hermione and none of them had talked to Kiba since he had returned to the common room. He would be asleep by the time Harry and Ron got to the dorm and would already be wandering the Halls in the morning.

The rare times he talked, it wasn't with them. He would talk to other Gryffindors, mostly Fay and Parvati, or make conversation with second-years from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Harry and Ron walked along the Halls after studying in the great Hall during lunchtime and reached the second floor where the stone floor was covered with a layer of water, they entered the corridor and saw more water flowing from one door in particular. "yuck!" exclaimed room as the water seeped into his shoes

"Looks like Myrtle is flooding the bathroom," Harry said leading the way to the door, he pushed it open and saw all the taps pouring water into the already overflowing sinks and went to turn them off.

"Come to throw something else at me?" asked the ghost sobbing as she sat in the high window between the rows of cubicles.

"Why would i throw something at you?" Harry asked confused by the question

"I don't know," replied the girl as she floated closer to the ground "here i am minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me" she said looking to the ground where a wet book lay.

"But it can't hurt if someone throws something at you," said Ron, Harry quickly tugged at his sleeve to stop him but Ron didn't get the message, rather he looked to Harry for approval as he finished his sentence "i mean, it'll go right through you"

"oh sure!" Myrtle yelled diving forwards and stopping just an inch in front if the redhead "Let's all throw books at Myrtle because she can't fall it!" she punched Ron's chest which send her arm through him "Ten points if you get it through her stomach! Fifty if it goes through her head!" she did the same to Ron's head sending a cold shiver through the boys entire body.

"Who threw the book at you anyway?" Harry asked as he picked up the book.

"I don't know, i didn't see them.. i was just sitting there, thinking about death, when it fell through the top of my head" she explained before breaking out into a loud wail.

Harry felt something from the book but couldn't really explain it, or point it out, if he tried. He turned the book around to further examine the worn out black leather covering and spotted a name written in Golden letters. "Tom Marvolo Riddle…" he muttered.

"I remember that name from somewhere… i think Hermione mentioned it" Ron said. The two made their way into the common room and saw Hermione sitting on the couch and headed over to her quickly.

"Hermione!" the two of them yelled out as they made their way to her.

"what is it?" she asked slightly irritated by their interruption

"Does the name 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' ring any bells?" Ron asked as Harry held out the book.

"I do-" Hermione stopped when she saw the book Harry was holding. She recognized it immediately, not just by The look but also by the feeling it gave her. The pain that pierced her chest and the shiver it send down her spine. She hesitated for a second but then reluctantly grabbed the book. "I don't think so.. mayb-"

"I remember now!" Ron suddenly burst out "i remember where i read the name before, it was during our detention. I remember because i kept burping slugs on Tom Riddle's trophy"

"Trophy? What for?" Harry asked

"He got it about fifty years ago for special services to the school" Ron replied shrugging his shoulder not understanding why it was important.

"it makes sense..." Hermione whispered ' _Malfoy said that the chamber had been opened fifty years ago, and Kiba said this is his father's diary… that means there's a fifty percent chance that his father was the heir of Slytherin as well.. or is!_ '

"Hermione?" Harry asked once again

"don't you see, Remember what Malfoy said? The last time the chamber was opened was fifty years ago, what if Tom found the culprit behind the attacks fifty years ago and was awarded the trophy?" she explained "maybe he even knew where it was, maybe he wrote someth-"

…

"It's empty.." she said silently. ' _but i saw him write into this… and if Tom Riddle killed a Muggle-born fifty years ago and was awarded a prize for services to the school then that means he framed someone, somehow.. but who.. i should check the library_ ' she handed the book to Harry and said she had to go study in the library and leave them to it for now.

"we'll tell you if we find anything" Ron said.

"yeah," Hermione replied "I'll do the same" she walked out of the common room and headed for the library, not knowing where to start. She entered one of the iles where most of the information about Hogwarts was and searched ultimately coming up with nothing and returning to her dorm to sleep.

She entered the common room and saw no one was awake, it seemed like everyone was sleeping. She made her way passed the chairs and the couch and passed the study table. "is that…" The diary was on the table laying at a slight angle like it had been tossed on there without much care. She reached out for it but couldn't force herself to pick it up and ultimately decided to leave it as it was. She ascended the spiral staircase to the very top and entered her room.

The circular room was quiet apart from the rhythmic breathing of all the girls. She changed into her pajamas and went to sleep.

' _"… going to… K-Kill… y-…you"_

 _"Who? What? Talk to me, just this once"_

 _"He'll.. hurt you.."_

 _"who will?"_

 _"Me!" Kiba's face was barely inches away from hers, close enough to feel his breath yet far enough to still see his entire head. However, he looked far from normal, his skin seemed scaly, his pupils had taken on an odd shape and his irises were grey. Infact his whole expression was beyond recognition. He moved his hand up and the room lit up in a flash of green_

 _"Hermioneeeeeeeeeee" she heard a voice scream distantly_ '

Hermione shot upright, suddenly wide awake from her dream with cold sweat streaming down her face. Through the window she could see the first rays of sunshine creeping over the hills. ' _Hermioneeeeeeeeeee_ ' she still heard the echoes of the voice from her dream fading slowly. She sighed heavily and got out of her bed to prepare for the day ahead.

Throughout every class her eyes wandered across the class looking for him, but to no avail. Kiba was missing.. and the teachers didn't even seem to notice his absence. How odd.

"Hermione!" Ron called out running over to the girl as she walked through the courtyard. "We got something"

"So, i wrote in the diary last night and it responded, with letters on the parchment…"

' _It belonged to my father… i feel like I'm talking to him, telling him how i feel.._ '

"…and that's when the diary spit me out again" Harry finished

"I still don't know Harry, we shouldn't trust that Riddle, he seems like a dirty rotten snitch to me" Ron added

"Maybe we should just pay Hagrid a visit and ask him" Harry suggested

"Yeah, that'll be a cheerful visit 'Hello Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting something mad and hairy lose in the castle lately?'"

"Mad an 'airy? Yer wouldn't be talkin' 'bout me now would yer?" Asked the half giant as he revealed himself behind them

"No." The three replied in unison which was followed by awkward silence.

"What do you have there, Hagrid?" asked Harry pointing at the flask that the man carried

"Oh, this is fleash-eating-slug-repellant. For them Mandrakes" he replied "i best continue, take care of yer selves"

"Harry come quick! I don't know who did it, but you have to see it" Neville yelled out of nowhere coming to a halt just in front of the trio. The followed the boy up to the common room and into the dorm of the second years which was in utter chaos. Harry's drawers were opened and all his belongings had been thrown to the floor, even Hedwig's cage.

"It must have been a Gryffindor," Hermione said "or a teacher" she added

"someone who knew the password" said Neville

"They must have been looking for something" Ron said stating the obvious.

"And they found it.." Harry replied "Tom Riddle's diary is gone"

Fear stuck Hermione harder then ever before. He had it, he had found it.. but where was he? She continued thinking as she helped the boys clean the dorm before she headed for the library once more along with a book about magical creatures, desperate to find out what kind of creature Kiba used to petrify the other students when no answer came to her she decided to search for McGonagall. She wandered the corridors towards the teacher's office and bumped right into Draco as she turned a corner. The two boys beside him laughed loudly as he looked down on her with a smirk before passing her.

She got up and turned to pick up her bag and continued her way internally cursing herself for making a fool of herself. "Miss Granger, what are you doing out of your dorm at this hour?" asked the stern professor as she stopped writing to address the girl.

"I'm sorry, i was in the library and i must have forgotten the time" she explained "i wanted to ask you a question related to the events of the past months"

"Miss Granger, I-"

"It's been keeping me awake, i can't find anything about a monster that petrifies its victim" Hermione blurted out

"I cannot tell you Miss Granger, i suggest you get some sleep" McGonagall said softly yet sternly at the same time. Hermione nodded and headed for her dorm, she dropped her bag and noticed something fall out if it. It was a crumpled up piece of parchment.

' _i knew Malfoy dropped something in my bag_ ' she picked up the paper ball and prepared to drop it into the trashcan but hesitated, some sort of curiosity stopped her. What would Malfoy write? What did he not dare to tell her in front of his friends?

She unfolded the parchment and realized that it was a page, that had been ripped out of a book. She sat down on her bed and turned on her night light, which caused the other sleeping girls to turn their backs to her.

"The Basilisk" she read aloud. She scanned the page and her thoughts began running wildly shooting from one piece of recalled information to the next and back.

' _"somethin's been killin' them Roosters"_ '

"… the cry if the roster will kill it…"

' _"a Monster, a beast that only Slytherin's heir can control"_ '

"…one of the first serpents to roam the Earth…"

' _"last time the chamber was opened, a Mudblood died"_ '

"…looking into it eyes directly will lead to immediate death, but research has shown that if the eyes are too be seen through a reflection or see through object it will instead cause petrification… that's it, that must be the monster that attacked the students, but how would it get through the school unnoticed?" she scanned the page further and saw a handwritten word 'Pipes' "of course, but that means that it had direct excess from where ever the chamber is"

She turned off her light and laid back on her bed, thinking of anyone who could help her find the chamber but couldn't think of anyone. It was just her, she had to save Kiba, not even Harry or room could help her. It was just her and him. Her mind raced throughout the night, thinking of any possible places where the chamber might be hidden.

She pretended to sleep as the other girls woke up and then ultimately got up herself and headed to breakfast when the greatest idea popped into her head upon seeing the bloody Barron. She approached the ghost but changed her mind quickly opting to address the gray lady instead. "Excuse me, i was wondering if i might ask you something" Hermione asked as polite as she could.

"of course, but understand, i might not possess the answer." The ghostly lady responded

"I heard of a student that died about 50 years ago, would you by any chance remember who it was?" She asked with crossed fingers

"Oh i remember her, poor girl from my own house" the last said "she spent most of her time an Hogwarts crying in the girls bathroom. That's also where she died."

"Are you talking about Myrtle? Moaning Myrtle?"

"Indeed, though i liked her as a human more then a ghost"

"Thank you, grey lady." Hermione said politely as she entered the great Hall. She remained unusually quiet while Ron hyped Harry up for his Quidditch match that day, she however wasn't planning on watching her friend play she was running out of time and she had to save him.

..

Climbing. Scratching. Slipping. Falling. Pain. Repeat. Climbing. Holding on. Pain. Strain. Success.

Kiba panted heavily as he lay on the floor of the girls bathroom.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Blink. Repeat. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Kiba unsteadily got to his feet, feeling the ever closer presence of the Basilisk, the diary and recently.. his father. Wether it was hallucination it not, he saw him. All the time, when he'd wake up in the chamber, when he sleeped. And today he sent him up again, to claim a victim. Someone in particular, Harry Potter.

Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.

Kiba walked the Halls like a zombie. His head hung low, good knees wobbled with every step his showing ribs shuddered with every blue of the wind. But beside him walked Tom with a perfect posture and a head held high. "don't worry son, the torture ends soon. Remember, for the greater good." Said Tom as he spotted someone in the distance.

…

Hermione looked down the corridor to her left and spotted two people walking towards her. Hesitant to approach she looked hard to see if she recognized one of them and then she saw him, beside the slipping boy. Kiba, looking healthy and refreshed. But as she Drew closer she realized that it had been only one person, and it was Kiba.. but he didn't look good at all. His body seemed like it would break at the slightest touch, his breaths were heavy and his eyes were barely open showing no resemblance to those she knew. His hands were scarred, dirty and blood poured from good broken nails and the many cuts.

"Kiba…" she said already on the verge of crying.

"What do we have here huh?" another voice spoke "a Mudblood?"

"how dare you-" she said turning towards the boy, the boy that looked almost identical to Kiba, only that he had black heir, and a slightly stronger jawline.

"oh Hermione, how long I've wanted to meet you" the boy said

"Who are you?"

"oh, i forget myself sometimes. I'm Tom, Kiba's father" he held out his hand but retracted it before Hermione could touch him. "now my son, he has told me allot about you, involuntarily" Hermione looked towards Kiba and he could only stare at his feet. "but seeing as the two of you are separated by blood status, i can't allow you to speak to him and longer which means… time for you to die" Hermione hard a nose behind her and expected it to be the beast. "You should see what's behind you," Tom said "don't worry, it'll hurt plenty"

"Kiba… I-" Hermione began slowly removing the mirror from her pocket as well as the paper ball. She was going to secretive herself if that meant saving Kiba. She didn't know how it would but maybe somehow.. "I'm sorry.." she prepared to turn herself around but Kiba lunged forwards without warning, grabbing her hand and lifting it and the mirror so she would see the beast behind her. And she did, just over her shoulder little the green serpent.

"NO!" she heard Tom yell as she traced it's body up towards it's head and it's…

"so am I" yellow eyes…

…

"I should have known," Tom said as he stood above the body of his unconscious son that had passed out during their little stroll "you've been so opposing since the start. And why? For a Mudblood and a Muggle. It doesn't matter.." Tom picked up Kiba's wand and pointed it at the wall to write another message in Black flames. "in the end, it's all.. for the greater good.. right Dumbledore?" Tom chuckled to himself and proceeded to levitate Kiba's corpse off the ground to carry him to the chamber. "you will understand Son, why you had to sacrifice yourself to bring me back, why Dumbledore and Potter must die"

…

"I warn you, this might be a wee bit of a shock" McGonagall said as she let Harry and Ron to the hospital wing. "we found her near the library," She said with same training her facade. "this will be the end of Hogwarts"

"Hermione…" the boys said in disbelief sharing a look. ' _did Kiba do this, was it really him?_ '

"was she?" Harry began

"Petrified, like all the others. I know you want to stay with get but i must ask you to accompany me to your common room" McGonagall said. Harry slowly brushed his fingers along her arm and felt her cold skin. He continued down to her wrist and then her hand when he felt it, a ball of parchment. He grabbed it and hid it from view before following the professor.

They entered through the portrait hole and were greated by the entirety of the Gryffindors, all gathered to hear the news. No one would be allowed to wander the castle unsupervised. "we have to go to Hagrid" Harry whispered

"but how, McGonagall just sai-" Ron tried to protest

"i think it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again…"

\--

 **AN:** so, i know this chapter is mega rushed, but i want enjoying writing it and this is kinda what it came to, next chapter is the end of Book 2 because I'll skip Harry's perspective and go to Kiba's again since I've been focusing on hermione's POV so heavily.

i hope this chapter was fine anyways, i might change it/update it at some point in the future. I'll gonna have a couple of summer break chapters or like stories points planned and can't wait to get to POA stay tuned..

 **PS:** not home rn and wifi is pretty shit, i hope this uploads properly.


	23. Chapter 23: How to Forgive

**Chapter 23: How to Forgive**

' _what is this?_ '

…

' _I feel.. cold_ ' Kiba's eyes opened slowly as he looked at his desaturated surroundings. He sat upright and scanned the room he was in. A door to the left and two to his right, one behind him and a staircase before him leading upwards. The door to his left swung open and out walked a woman. ' _Leverton's?_ '

Kiba got to his feet and his surroundings suddenly received some color with every step he took and he proceeded up the staircase where he saw a Boy and a Girl happily chasing each other ' _Faye…_ ' he sighed and entered his room, it looked like it had always done. Granted, nothing changes that drastically in 10 years. ' _Atleast until Lupin_ ' he left the room again and headed for the roof where he saw himself with Faye. Looking at the dark nightsky above.

He remembered the stars he saw back then, but when he looked now he saw nothing. " _Promise…_ " he heard himself say. Kiba returned into the building and stopped at the top of the stairs. A light shun brightly outside the front door, and he felt drawn to it, unable to look away from it's pale hue. He approached it with an outstretched hand and then felt something.

The light faded and Kiba saw a set of armchairs a couch a table and three kids that were his age. His hand was placed on the cheek of the one in the middle. There wasn't a doubt in his mind as to who they were. ' _Hermione.. Harry.. Ron…_ ' but as quickly as they had appeared they faded into black mist leaving only a dark trail through the woods before him. ' _is this what it's come to?_ ' Kiba asked as he began walking, slowly, step by step. ' _i feel like last year, only more realistic… am i actually dieing this time?_ '

He walked along the trail feeling himself grow weaker and weaker with every step. His breaths grew heavier, his bare toes began dragging through the fallen leaves and he was slumped over with his arms dangling loosely by his side.

"Voldemort was after your time" a voice suddenly echoed distantly through the trees.

"Voldemort **is** my past, present and future!" Kiba's heard another voice say, one he recognized immediately from his darkest moments.

"Father?" he called out to no response.

"Surely, you didn't think I'd keep the name of my filthy muggle father?" Tom's voice echoed "i needed a name which would instill fear at the mere mention of it, so i changed my name.. I am Lord Voldemort!"

"It was you that attacked the school?" asked the first voice which Kiba could finally identify as Harry's. "you petrified everyone?!"

Kiba wanted to storm into the woods and chase after the voices but every time he tried his feet would shy away and instead take him further down the trail.

"oh no, it was Him. my Son, Kiba. He did all those things, he wrote the messages, killed the roosters, commanded the Basilisk" Tom said slyly

"Why would he do that?" Harry asked

"because i told him to" he answered.

Suddenly Kiba stumbled and fell to his knees and hands as he struggled to maintain conscience.

"Kiba…" a soft voice spoke.

"Hermione?" Kiba asked unable to look at the figure that now stood above him.

"Look at me…" a hand moved past his face and to his chin lifting it up along with his entire body so he was back on his feet. Before him stood a woman, red hair falling from her head and past her shoulders accompanied by the softest expression Kiba had ever seen. "my Son.."

"M-.. Mom?!" Kiba spoke in barely a whisper

"You've grown so much.." she whispered as she kneeled down to embrace the boy "would be a shame if this was the end of the line right?"

"It is.."

"Why is it? You can still go back"

"what do you mean?" Kiba said releasing the hug.

"You're dieing.. you're not dead" His mother replied holding his hands "you can still make the choice" she let go of his hands and stood up to take a few steps further down the trail. She extended her hand and looked at the boy "you heard the voices, your brain is still listening to the real world.. Your hanging but by a thread. Either you take my hand and join me, or you run, as fast as you can, as long as you can.. until you wake up" Kiba stared into the abyss of the trees and then to his mother.

"Maybe I'll join you… at some point.." Kiba replied, "even though I'd deserve death, i believe it's not my time yet"

"Then go, no more time to wait. Remember Kiba, Mama loves you"

Kiba smiled "i love you too, Mom" suddenly Kiba charged forwards into the darkness. He fought his way through the bushes and vines as the voices grew louder.

"what are you doing?!" Tom asked in a panic. Kiba heard a loud yell and saw a tiny light appear in the distance. It pulsed as Kiba drew closer to it and increased in size. A Red Rain began dropping through the leaves as Kiba came closer to the light and with one more shout from Tom Riddle, his father, the light engulfed everything.

…

It was quiet, the light faded and the feeling in his body returned. From the pain in his feet to the burning of the many cuts and scratches on his hands and fingers, the dryness of his mouth and the ringing in his head. But Kiba felt refreshed, like he had slept for days.

He was gone. Tom Riddle, his father.. Voldemort. The memory that had resided in the diary and then him, was gone.

As heavy as his eyelids felt when he opened them, he felt nothing but relief at the sight of the diary that had been stabbed with the tooth of the dead Basilisk that lay in the chamber. And nothing brought him more joy then seeing Harry smile down at him with a phoenix perched on his shoulder.

"Harry.." he whispered, still weakened by his frail body. The boy simply smiled, his robes were torn on his right arm and beside him was a sword. He stood up and offered Kiba a hand.

"It's over," he whispered "let's go Kiba" Harry pulled the heir up and threw his arm over his shoulders to stabilize his walk. Fawkes jumped off and grabbed the sword and hat from the stone floor and flew off while Harry continued to half carry Kiba towards the chamber exit. "Ron?" Harry called out.

"Yeah I'm here," replied a voice from behind the fallen debris that blocked their path "how are we going to get out Harry?"

"I don't know," replied Harry "Kiba is weak, we have to get him out of here!"

"Wait, i think I can come over to you" Harry carefully placed Kiba down on some rocks and helped Ron make a path for him and Lockhart to come through.

"what happened to him?" asked Kiba as he saw the obviously excited and confused man.

"He used my wand and it backfired," replied Ron as he headed over to the Parselmouth "he hasn't got a clue who he is. Wicked right?" Kiba nodded before Ron embraced him.

"wow, look at that! What do you think is up there?" asked the man looking up through the opening in the ceiling that led to the castle grounds.

"We're gonna have to climb up there.." muttered Harry, "but i don't think Kiba can"

They remained silent as all of them thought.

"Hotaru…" Kiba whispered.

"what's that?"

"My dragon, Hotaru.. maybe we can call her somehow.." Kiba sighed. He tried to recall everything from the year but he could only remember snippets of it, he barely remembered anything since the diary had come to him. He remembered most of what he had said to Hermione, and what he had said to Hotaru.. but why was he angry with her? He couldn't remember

"Kiba? Where is she?" asked Harry in a concerned tone because of the unresponsiveness of his friend.

"Don't know.. i told her to go, i was angry… i don't remember exactly"

'I'm here!' Kiba suddenly heard her angelic voice, while the others heard but a screech or a sort of roar. Diving down from the night sky towards them was the blue scaled Dragon. 'I told you, I'll always be there for you'

"I'm sorry Hotaru, for what i said.. i wasn't in my right mind, literally." Kiba said apologetically "can you forgive me?"

'of course,' she replied happily 'I've never done this before.. let's see if i can do it.' She hopped to the ground and stretched her limbs. 'come on now, i can do this!' with a sudden jerk in it's movement her tail increased in length and thickness and her legs began swelling up in size. Her head grew larger as did all her features. Her wingspan extended and her muscles pulsed visibly underneath her skin.

She increased in size until she was big enough to carry the four. 'that felt weird,' she muttered as she looked at the transformation her body had gone through 'i should do this more often' she smiled at Kiba.

"what an odd creature this is.." Lockhart mumbled "does it live here?" he asked the boys.

"Let's get on," Kiba said as the boys pulled him up and onto the Dragon.

'best hold on now' Hotaru said with a majestic roar as she prepared to take off with a giant leap. The fresh air stuck Kiba's face like another refreshing wave of water, he closed his eyes and was finally able to breath again. It felt like he had breathed the foul air of the chamber for months and Ron and Harry visibly beamed with excitement as the Dragon carried them over the castle.

"This is incredible! Simply incredible!" Lockhart exclaimed befor laughing hysterically.

As soon as they had landed and gotten off of the shrinking Dragon Kiba collapsed due to his malnutrition. The boys didn't hesitate and carried him to Madam Pomfrey, who was luckily tending to the filled beds. "you found him?" she said in disbelief, "but Minerva said he was in the chamber of…" the hospital does swung open and McGonagall entered with quick steps.

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley. With me please" she said sternly as her gaze was fixed on the slowly breathing Boy on the hospital bed, the same bed her had been in on Christmas. She took the two boys through the corridors and up to Dumbledore's office where she then waited outside.

"um, Professor Lockhart is running around the school grounds.. he's not in his right mind anymore" Harry said to the Head of his house

"Yeah, you might want to go catch him before he does serious damage" Ron added as they ascended the staircase.

…

"professor, calm yourself!" McGonagall shouted as she restrained Lockhart in one of the chairs in her office.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'd very much like to know who i am, where i am and what I'm doing here" the man replied politely and desperately. "what are you doing?"

"informing someone of your condition. Don't worry, you'll be in good hands by Dawn" she replied as she folded her parchment into an envelope and send it off.

"all anyone has told me is that i am a Professor and that my last name is Lockhart, can you please, please tell me more"

"I don't know exactly what happened to you" McGonagall sighed, "your name is Gilderoy Lockhart, you used to teach here at this school. But the rest will be explained to you by the proper authorities, good night." She stood and promptly left her office, leaving the black minded wizard in the chair.

…

Kiba's eyes slowly opened as the first rays of the spring sunshine shone through the window to warm his face. He slowly sat upright and scanned the filled Hospital wing. His eyes landed on the nurse. "Mister Scamander, dear. How do you feel? You sure look better"

"I feel better then I've done all year" Kiba replied further counting the victims. Which went far above his last count. He stumbled out of the bed and refused to lay back down on Madam's command.

"dear, please! Sit and eat first!" she pleaded, but the boy fought back with his returning strength

"No! I have to see them! All of them" Kiba stumbled over to the bed and was able to use it to stay on his feet. He looked at the man with the cat by his side, he continued on to Colin and his still naive visage. Next were Justin, Ernie and Luna along with the Gryffindor house ghost that floated in the corner. Kiba hesitated as he approached the next bed, he knew who lay there. Her bushy hair gave it away immediately, and there she was. Her face still bearing the surprise of Kiba's action, forcing her to be petrified was better then to see her die, Tom would have if Kiba hadn't done it. But Tom wasn't strong enough at that point.

And those were all his Eight victims, at least so he thought, but the motionless figures in the next hospital beds didn't reassure him. He swallowed hard and stepped over to the next bed in which laid a girl, Hannah Abbot a Hufflepuff from his year in the next was Susan Bones, another Hufflepuff. Kiba increased his peace as he spoke the names of the victims softly "Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin, Pansy Parkinson, Angelina Johnson, Roger Davies, Penelope Clearwater, Fay Dunbar, Parvati Patil and.. Draco?"

' _what the hell?! It's like he went on a spree, how come no one died? How did all of them survive?_ ' Kiba fell to his knees and dropped his head to the ground holding it tight. ' _Nineteen… Nineteen people. Petrified, because of me! All because of ME!_ ' the boy cursed himself internally as he rocked back and forth slightly.

"don't worry dear, the concoction is almost ready. They'll all be fine. Now please, sit down and eat and you will be fine as well" Pomfrey pleaded one more and finally Kiba agreed.

… ' _it's all my fault_ ' …

It didn't take long until Kiba had regained his healthy and good looks that he had lost over the course of the year, and school would only last a little longer then a week. Kiba had reunited with Ron and Harry and they had told him the entire story from their perspective, somehow they didn't seem to think he was guilty. They entered the great Hall and continued "so Ginny had it for a while, but then tried to get rid of it on the bathroom. Which is where we found it" Ron said "but then at some point, someone stole it from Harry"

"Guessing that was me," Kiba said "I-.. Sir Nicholas?"

"Huh?" Harry looked to his left and saw the previously petrified ghost happily floating about. "but that means.."

"Yeah," Neville chimed in "the concoction worked, everyone is back to normal" and indeed, Parvati and Fay were at the table. Draco was chatting with his friends, including Pansy. Everyone was back. Even Filch stood at the doors with Mrs Norris on his shoulder. "look there's Hermione"

' _Hermione.._ ' Harry was quick on his feet as Hermione ran towards them, as was Ron. She jumped into Harry's embrace with a big smile. She released Harry as McGonagall called for attention. The girl quickly ducked underneath the table and popped back up on the other side beside Kiba without a word.

"Congratulations, i can't believe you solved it!" she whispered

"We had loads of help from you" Harry replied holding out the ripped book page.

"Right.." Hermione mumbled.

"Good evening children!" Dumbledore said "first off, please join me in applauding Professor Sprout, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey for successfully bringing back those who have been petrified" Everyone began clapping loudly and a few whistles and shouts could also be heard. "secondly, surely you're all wondering who was behind these attacks. And i think you all deserve to know" Dumbledore spoke loudly and with unusual seriousness in his expression. "His name is Tom Riddle. But today, of course, he's known by another name.. Voldemort" gasps could be heard all around and Kiba hung his head low.

Suddenly he feels something in his right hand, and it was Hermione's hand, who intertwined her fingers with his and squeezed lightly without looking. ' _does she forgive me?_ '

"only, he chose to act through another. I will not tell you who he acted through, but i apologize to everyone in their stead, and ask that you chose forgiveness. Not for he-who-must-not-be-named, but for the student that he used to do his bidding" silence remained in the hall as Hermione squeezed Kiba's hand a little tighter. "and. In light of the recent events.. All exams, except the N.E.W.T's and O.W.L's of course, have been cancelled!" Everyone cheered loudly and Dumbledore raised his goblet to signal the start of the feast. His eyes met those of Kiba and the old wizard have him a respectful nod.

Throughout the feast Hermione held on to Kiba's hand but they didn't really share a word. They exchanged glances and ever so often squeezed the others hand slightly. But neither really understood why they were doing it, it felt right. That was all. Somehow, just being near Hermione again soothed him, and increased his heart at the same time. But it calmed and distracted his mind from everything that had happened.

The feast ended and the last week went by smoothly and Dumbledore himself taught defense against the dark arts for the time being. And then the year ended, it was early in the morning when Kiba was called to Dumbledore's office. Kiba felt like the year had only been a few months, he remembered all the lessons but it felt so short, all of it. "Good Morning Professor," Kiba said "you asked for me?"

"Yes.." the old man replied "i wanted to give you some time before we talk.. we have to address the obvious"

"I figured sir," Kiba replied "i don't remember it all that well"

"Kiba.. i don't believe you are guilty of the crimes committed this year" Dumbledore said softly "the memory that was preserved in the diary was more then you think.. it was a very piece of Voldemort's Soul.."

"a piece of his soul?"

"yes, it is called a Horcrux" Dumbledore sighed "that's how he was able to possess you, and use you to attack the school" Kiba remained silent and simply looked at the ground where he stood.

"Did you know, sir?" Kiba asked

"know what?" the man replied

"about my heritage…"

…

"Yes"

"and you didn't tell me? Why..? Because you wanted to spare me?!" Kiba asked as tears threatened his eyes.

…

"Yes" Kiba sighed and sat down opposite to Dumbledore and sighed heavily. "You must understand. I wanted to bring you into the wizarding world on your own terms, to experience the good before you know the truth"

"Yeah? And how did that work out?" Kiba retorted. "it's not like I'm innocent. I've taken a life. And i got worse… i got clever. I manipulated people to chase the wrong trails"

"that wasn't you, dear boy. It was him, he was manipulating you from the moment you touched the diary" Dumbledore spoke as softly as he could.

"if you knew the whole time that is was me.. that it was **Him**. Then WHY!" kinda shouted as he slammed his hands into the headmaster desk "Why didn't your stop me?!" Kiba's chest was pounding hard, his anger with the old man who could have prevented everything was boiling at it's highest. But Dumbledore remained calm.

"because i believed in you, Kiba. I believed in you ever since i met you." He said "I believed that you would make choices and follow paths that would distance you from your father, and you did. You might look like your father did, but in here.." he said pointing to Kiba's chest "there is not a trace of him. You might not see, or understand it.. but i do. I knew Tom Riddle, and you have what he lacked.. empathy, compassion, a will to do the right thing, and above all.. Love"

"I don't believe you" Kiba replied sitting back down

"then how is it, that even though you were under his control, that none died?" Dumbledore asked as he rose from his seat "Miss Granger told me what you did. An act of such is something that Tom Riddle could never have performed. And you didn't stop there, even unconsciously you did the right thing. Always preventing the deaths, and forcing them to be petrified, knowing that they would live, rather then be killed.. that is empathy" Dumbledore walked to Kiba's side and sat on the edge of his desk. "it is also why it took him so long to fully possess you. You were fighting him, and you didn't even know it"

"What with? With love?"

"Exactly" Dumbledore said "your love for your friends is what kept him away for so long"

...

"Sir, there was something. Before i woke up in the chamber.."

"Yes?"

"I saw my Mother.." he said "she told me i could go with her, or go back. And i choose to go back for Harry, and Hermione and my friends here in Hogwarts and back in Leverton's"

"You see, Kiba. It is not our abilities that define us, it is our choices. And your choice to go back, to live after what you had done, for your friends. That is what separated you from Voldemort"

"but how can anyone forgive me? I nearly killed Nineteen People.. well Seventeen and a Cat" Dumbledore remained quiet and placed his hand on Kiba's shoulder.

…

"the question is…"

…

"Do you forgive yourself?"

' _can you forgive yourself Kiba? After what you did, this year and last year?_ ' The boy asked himself. The question was hard to answer, and Dumbledore didn't expect him to answer it, but Kiba Rose from the chair, grabbed his wand from behind his ear and placed it on the desk.

…

"I can't…" he turned and walked past the old wizard who looked confused. He promptly left the office and left the old man to his thoughts. He looked at wand that now lay beside him and chuckled.

Kiba walked along the corridors, knowing that it would be his last time… ' _i can't, not after all this_ ' he spoke the password to the Gryffindors common room and looked around. Taking it in, one last time. He sighed "it was a good story, right?" he asked himself with a sigh. He proceed up the staircase where Hermione suddenly came his way.

"Kiba, you better hurry it we'll miss the train" she said. She stood just one step higher then him, yet there eyes were on the same level. None of the two had realized what a size difference they had.

"Hermione," Kiba said "i know i haven't said anything about it yet, but i have t-" Kiba was stopped by the sudden feeling of Hermione lips on his cheek, leaving the most undescribable sensation.

"I won't look at you any differently just because of what had happened. I won't. Harry won't. No one will. That's what friends are for" she said when she looked at him again "i can't even begin to understand what you went through this year. I thought you didn't trust us, but it was all because of Him. What I'm trying to say is, we're still your friends, Harry, Ron and I. And if we can look past the fact that He is your father, then so can you"

"It's not that easy for me Hermione.." Kiba replied,

"you can. I know so" she added reassuringly. She stepped past him further down the stairs before calling back "hurry! We're going to miss the train!"

Kiba stood motionless on the staircase. His fingers touching the spot that Hermione had kissed. He felt his heart pound, hard but slowly. He didn't exactly understand but, it felt like it had done when they had held hands at the feast. That sensation that the heir just couldn't describe. One of those small things that had kept Voldemort at bay throughout the year.

Kiba entered his dorm and packed what he needed before signing heavily. ' _how could they all forgive me so easily? Justin, Ernie and Colin knew it was me.. how can they do it so easily?_ ' He felt Hotaru fly into his pocket as he took a look around the dorm one last time. With his truck in hand dragging behind him and his backpack hanging over his shoulder he headed for the door. "Kuzon, come on" the owl .hooted happily and flew after the boy, setting himself down on his free shoulder.

He left the castle without looking back and managed to get onto one of the last carriages along with one of this year's victims. "Hello" she said cheerfully when Kiba sat down opposite to her.

"Hey, Luna" Kiba replied "i know this might be weird, but do you remember what happened before you-"

"oh, those two boys ran into me when i talked with Nearly-headless nick" she replied "and they said that a boy named Kiba was chasing them, though.. he looked more like a giant snake then a boy when he came around the corner" she said with a smile. "we all saw it behind- no, through Nick"

"So you don't know who was behind the attacks?" Kiba asked

"Dumbledore told us at the feast," She replied "but i suspect that Nargles are behind it all"

"No, Luna" Kiba replied with a chuckle which made the girl smile too "it was who Dumbledore said it was, but he used me to do it.. i want you to know that i would never hurt you"

"Well that's nice," she said in her cheerful tone "i wouldn't hurt you either. But you should watch out for Nargles."

"I will, thank you Luna"

After reuniting and disregarding the orderly fashion with the trio they seated themselves into one of the compartments along with all the Weasley's. The compartment was filled with chatter and laughter throughout the journey to King's Cross, and all was well even if the compartment was cramped and everyone sat closer to one and other then usual. Ginny seemed to be extra close to Harry, even though she had space to the other side. Kiba remained mostly silent throughout, thinking about what was to come.

What would he tell Madam and Sister Crawford? That he was expelled? Where was he going to go? What was Faye going to think of him? Should he tell his friends?... Should he have died in the chamber?

They soon arrived at the station and the Weasley's left quickly. Kiba waved to Luna as she departed with her oddly dressed father, and shared a glance with Draco as he too was taken home by his parents. Kiba joined Harry and Hermione and together they pushed their trolleys through the gate where they soon ran into the Granger's.

"Hermione dear, how was your year?" asked her mother quickly

"fi..ne.. Mo..m" she said as her mother began showering her with kisses "o..ne kiss is en..ough"

"Ah, Kiba.. was it?" asked her feather as he extended his hand

"yes sir," Kinda replied shaking it.

"has the year treated you well?" he asked

"well, it could have been worse. I'd say it was well enough" Kiba replied, receiving a little chuckle.

"see you after the Summer Harry" Hermione said as she hugged the glass wearing boy. "write this time, okay?"

"I'll try," Harry replied "see you Hermione"

She stepped over to Kiba and stuff on the tip of her toes to also hug the tall boy all the while being careful not to push Kuzon off of the boys shoulder "have a good summer, Kiba" she said softly "don't work yourself up to much" he felt her nuzzle into his neck for a second before she released him and said goodbye to both boys once more. Her presents also wished the boys well and then they walked off, leaving only Harry and Kiba on the station.

The two sat down on the same bench they had the year before. "there we are again" Harry sighed "just you and me after once again stopping **Him** "

"Yeah…" Kiba added

"Makes you wonder what's gonna happen next year" Harry said with a smile.

"Yeah," Kiba sighed "if there were a next year"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not coming back Harry," Kiba said resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward "i gave Dumbledore my wand"

"But-"

"I killed Someone last year and attacked Nineteen others this time, how can i come back?"

"It wasn't you, it was **Him**. And we stopped him, he's gone again"

"But is he? What if he survived inside me? What if he comes back again?"

"you'd be safer in Hogwarts then here. Your his Son, remember? He will want you to join him, he will probably find you anyways, should he come back"

"Potter!" the boys heard the grumpy voice of Vernon Dursley echo through the station.

"Kiba.. reconsider, please.. for us" Harry said hugging his friend "your not alone" they wished each other happy holidays and parted ways. It didn't take long before Lucy arrived to pick up Kiba and take him back to Leverton's. He watched the buildings go by as they drove, with good brain still pulsing in deep thought.

The car came to a stop and it's roaring subsided. Kiba opened the door and expected to be tackled as soon as he'd walk in, but all was quiet. It was late after all.. Kiba said Good night to Lucy and took his belongings upstairs got dressed into his pyjamas and laid down in his empty bed, quickly drifting off.

A few days passed, Leverton's was quieter, a few of the children had seemingly been adopted but Madam assured Kiba that Faye would be back soon from her trip with the Kenway's. Jacob was still around and he had begun to talk slightly so he could go to school. An old man had volunteered to help the boy since it had been his past work and Jacob made daily progress. Kiba had also gotten more interesting ever since he had an owl sitting on his shoulder almost permanently.

But something was wrong at Leverton's, Madam Helaway and Sister Crawford send constantly worried and on edge. "Say Kuzon, you did deliver the letters to Faye directly, right?" Kiba asked his companion quietly one evening.

'Yes, through the opening at the top of her window' the owl hooted in return 'and the packages in the windowsill'

"And you always waited for three days? But got no return letter?"

'yup'

"I'm so stupid," Kiba said smacking his own forehead "why didn't i realize sooner? Did the packages ever leave their spots?"

'not that i noticed, they remained unopened' a sudden realization dawned on Kiba, something that strangely joyed and saddened him. But the truth, it stabbed him like a sharp spear.

Kiba waited that night until Madam had done her second checkup. He crept out of his room and over to the locked door to Faye's room. He placed his hand on the knob and focused on his hand, then the lock and it's mechanism. He knew he was technically breaking wizarding laws, but what did it matter? He had to know..

" _Alohomora_ " the lock clicked and the door opened slightly.

He entered and flipped the light switch on. What he saw nearly dropped him to his knees. Letter upon letter last on the desk beneath her window, untouched and unopened. And packages stood on her windowsill. He grabbed it all and brought it to his room hiding it underneath his bed.

' _Faye never got anything that i send her. Not the camera, not the candy, not even the letters.. that means she hasn't been here… all year_ '

\--

 **AN:** so yeah, that's CoS finished. I'm taking a little writing break and plan PoA. I've actually started writing down stuff since i usually only write from the top of my head.. so i hope i can like make the story more realistic and not have every book be like a story thatdoesn't the into anything.

but what will happen now? Kiba left school.. and where the frick is Faye?!

 **remember to review the story!**

 **DM me ur Character.**

 **PS:** I've decided to drop Luna as a lover interest for Kiba, since i want to focus more on a Love triangle type situation.. but yeah haven't really explored the "Love" aspect yet, gonna get to that as the characters get older which will be soon because kinda will turn 14 in the third year.


	24. Chapter 24: Runaway

**Chapter 24: Runaway**

Everything was prepared. Kiba had emptied out his room and packed everything into his trunk. Magic was a weird thing and quite unexplainable, if anyone saw the extension charm that Lupin had placed on the trunk then Kiba had no way out.. how would anyone explain that anyway. He only had to find the right moment to slip out undetected, which proofed difficult. Madam Helaway rarely went to sleep. Always lingering in the living room, not letting Kiba escape. Suddenly Kiba found himself hating the orphanage and it's inhabitants, and it scared him, the amount of hate he began feeling.

' _it's because of Tom, i know it!_ ' Kiba told himself so he wouldn't feel guilty. But deep down inside he knew, that Tom hasn't created this hate. No, he only elevated the emotion.

Kiba sighed as he dipped his feather into some ink.

'Dear Hermione,

I hope you're enjoying your summer. Mine has started on a bad note and has continued getting worse ever since. I don't know why but I've really begun to hate it here recently.

And in addition. I think that my Friend Faye, i told you about her during our first year, has been adopted and nobody told me anything.

I'm going to leave Leverton's, which means i might lose contact for a while. I'll let you know if i found a place to stay.

Happy Holidays,

Kiba.'

He wrote similar letters to Ron and Harry and sent them all off with Kuzon. "i might not be here when you come back, if that happens then head for the Leaky Cauldron"

'Alright' he flapped his firey wings, grabbed the envelopes and flew out of the window.

"Where's he going?" asked a girl from behind Kiba. He jumped and turned quickly, fearing what she might have seen or heard.

"Elizabeth, how long have you been here?" he asked trying not to panic.

"I just came up. Dinner is ready" she said "but where is your bird going?"

"His name is Kuzon. He's going to stretch his wings, he needs to fly every now and again" he said getting up from his chair. "Let's get downstairs"

Kiba sat at the table all by himself, waiting for his turn to get up and get some soup.. ' _Tonight, I'm getting out_ '

The conditions were perfect. Lucy had gone to her own home for the weekend and sleep seemed to have finally caught up to Madam Helaway. Kiba picked up his heavy trunk and carried it down the staircase as quietly as he could but stopped just before heading out the front door. He looked to the door beside the staircase.. Madam's office.

The door unlocked before Kiba even touched it as it seemingly smelled his intentions. He grabbed the keys to the front doors and then remembered something. The last time he was in that office. 'there were letters, from Faye' he remembered. He searched the drawers and found a folder bearing her name, and it was filled with letters and papers. He wanted to take it with him but he couldn't. He flipped through the pages quickly, he needed to know for sure. And then he found it. The adoption papers. singed by Kenway. ' _this is from.. 1991.._ '

He dropped the folder to the ground sending the letters and papers everywhere. He stumbled out of the office and fumbled the keys as he tried to open the front door. "so you are leaving" a voice spoke from behind him. He freezed and barely breathed. "I thought so when you send Kuzon out. You told him to fly somewhere, and that you would follow soon.. or something" it was Elizabeth. She stood by the door to Madam's office and had her arms crossed. Kiba finally unlocked the door and tossed the girl the keys as he tried to display nothing but confidence.

"Lock up after me, will you?" he said grabbing his trunk. He zipped his jacket up and left the building, not looking back as he strolled into the darkness of the night. Elizabeth stood motionless outside the front door, watching the boy leave. She knew his confidence was faked, and she knew he had no idea where to go.

Kiba began walking in the rough direction of London deciding to rather walk then call the Knight Bus. His head was spinning, he had no idea what to do from there on out. He had left school and home and all the money he had would probably not last for a lifetime.. maybe he would find a job in Diagon Alley cleaning or something of the like. Kiba stopped walking when he heard steps in his near vicinity, he looked around himself but no one was in sight. Not in the garden or the houses nor the woods on the other side of the street. He walked on, now more weary of his surroundings, attempting to spot any movement in the darkness.

He could feel it. He could hear it. And it screamed run and hide. The unnatural rustling of leaves, the cold breeze touching his exposed skin, the uneasiness he felt. He knew it, he was being watched. Carefully, intently. But whoever, or whatever, was following seemed to have no plans of catching him. The steps could only be heard when Kiba himself walked, and when he stopped, they stopped too. When Kiba yelled, making the pursuer aware that he knew he was there, only the faint echo of his voice could be heard bouncing off of the trees. He didn't like it, not for a second.. and who could blame him.

Kiba's steps grew heavy as hopes of reaching London before Dawn quickly faded and sleep seemingly fought with the remaining consciousness of the young Parselmouth. His eyelids grew heavy and his eyes closed as he took another step which failed and send him falling. But he was caught by the shoulders with a firm grip. "what's a young man like you doing out on his own at this time?" asked the dark skinned man with a low and calm voice.

"I'm on my way to London, sir" Kiba replied distancing himself a step from the stranger.

"on your way? You are in London boy" he replied with an amused smile.

"I am? Well I'm trying to find a specific… could you point me towards King's Cross? I'll find my way from there" Kiba asked.

"King's Cross" the man chuckled "you're in luck, that's where I'm headed myself. You can tag along if you'd like" the man began walking and Kiba hesitantly followed, unsure as to what the man might intend with him, or if he was luring him somewhere for that matter. "tell me boy. Where exactly are you headed?"

"A place to spend the next few nights," Kiba replied "but i doubt you know of it"

"Oh? I just might," the man replied with a chuckle "you never know how much another knows until you ask"

"alright. It's called The Leaky Cauldron" Kiba replied with a smirk thinking he could silence the man.

"I thought you were a wizard," the man said simply "Hogwarts i presume?"

"yes. Well, not anymore" Kiba replied

"oh." The man said in Surprise "because of the incident? I saw it in the daily prophet, though i didn't believe it at first. I mean, the memory of He-who-must-not-be-named possessing a student, it sounds ridiculous" he said as he shot Kiba a curious look, most likely hoping to get a more detailed story but Kiba said nothing. "is that why your parents withdrew you?"

"oh, i don't have… i decided myself. I felt like it wasn't safe" Kiba said

"Oh, I'm sorry. But i think i do understand where you're coming from, but i don't think you had to withdraw" the man said stopping to face the boy "the danger is over right? And i mean, Dumbledore is one of if not The most powerful Wizard alive" he paused and placed his hand on the boys shoulder "Dumbledore will do everything in his power to protect the students of Hogwarts" he started at Kiba with a knowing expression "and i don't think anyone holds a grudge against the poor boy that was possessed. I know Dumbledore won't" he winked at Kiba and disappeared.

"But-" Kiba sighed and looked up at the clock that hung inside King's Cross station. "five in the morning… i better reach the Leaky Cauldron soon"

Not thirty minutes later the boy stepped into the pub. Unlike the last time he was here the air was fresh, and there was barely anyone. One witch sat at a small corner table with her back to the boy. Her hair was firey red and fell past her shoulders, she stirred her teacup with her spoon and read the newspaper that was spread out on the table. "Good Morning! Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron" Tom the bartender and innkeeper called into the silence of the room "Mister Scamander, was it?" Kiba spotted the witch turning her head slightly before he turned his back to her to face the friendly man.

"Call me Kiba, Please"

"Well, Mister Kiba. How can i help you?" the man asked stepping out from the bar to better see the boy.

"Ummm.. i was wondering if i could stay in the inn for a while" Kiba asked shyly

"of course, but no more then three days for underaged wizards and witches" he added as he saw the smile from the boys face fade.

"Oh.. i thought that.."

"Yes? Out with it"

"what if i worked for you, and in return you let me stay here" Kiba suggested quickly. Being an employee must be reason enough to stay longer.

"Look, i can't make you an official employee. But listen," the man bent down and talked much quieter "if you help me cook and clean in the evenings and mornings then I'll get you a room here" Kiba nodded and the two shook hands in silence "follow me!" Tom said loudly

Kiba followed him up the creaky stairs and shot one last glance at the witch and their eyes met. She looked rather serious and secretive. He was sure she had listened in on the conversation, but what she intended with that information he did not know. Tom brought Kiba to a room at the end of one of the many hallways. The room was small, had a bed and a small table along with a closet and a window which overlooked Diagon Alley. "This should do, eh?"

"thank you!" Kiba said as he looked out of the window.

"You start tomorrow morning. Now lay down, you look like you've been up all night for the last five days!" and with that the innkeeper left the room and closed the door. Kiba quickly slid into the bed as he felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

' _everyone will be worried sick… but what do i care.. they all lied to me!_ ' he turned to his side and pulled the covers over his shoulder as he shut his eyes and drifted off.

The next week's Kiba was happy. Almost as happy as he had been when he first got to Hogwarts. He worked the mornings and evenings in the Leaky Cauldron and in his free time studied music. He had bought multiple books on different instruments and notes and wanted to learn to how to play them, even if he didn't own any instruments. The young boy avoided going into Diagon Alley as he wanted to associate with the magical world beyond the Leaky Cauldron as little as possible.

Kiba didn't regret giving up his Wand, he didn't believe he could return after what he had done. But his happiness in the Leaky Cauldron began to fade with each passing day. Not only was he missing everything he had in the Muggle and magical world. But he also felt that he was under surveillance, by someone. The woman with the firey red hair that he saw on his first day came in often and always sat at her usual corner table, with her back to the rest of the inn. Sometimes, the woman brought along a man with a prostatic leg and a eye that seemingly had a mind of its own strapped to his head. And whenever she wouldn't be there someone else was at her table with the same posture as her.

But it all got worse one night. When Kiba had the feeling it all began anew.. when Kiba experienced another nightmare! The dream was blurry, and the images flashed through his mind rapidly, showing the boy things he couldn't recognize at first. It began with Kiba himself, walking into a dark Forest. The dark Forest then showed animals of different sizes. A Stag, wolves, a doe, rats, horses, dogs, cats and many more before they all changed into wizards and witches. The full moon was revealed through the crowns of the trees before the wizards blasted the boy out of the forest sending him to the greenhouses at Hogwarts where all the mandrakes sat quietly in their pots of dirt. Kiba could see roaches crawling all over the place which ultimately devoured him entirely leaving him to stare into black nothingness.

A place untouched by anyone. No light.. No voices.. nothing. Just the void itself.

The boy felt his heart beating in his chest at an abnormal rate but it wasn't just his heart, there was a second. Kiba could feel it's beat second to his own. It felt smaller than his own but it beat with equal force and determination to supply the boy's body.

Kiba opened his eyes and gasped for air. He stood paralyzed in place… ' _am i still dreaming?_ ' he thought. Before him it was. The forest he had been shown but that wasn't what paralyzed him. How he had gotten here didn't bother him either. What stopped the boy from moving was a pair of gleaming eyes that stalked him through the thicket of the trees.

Kiba pressed his eyes shut and rubbed them strongly. He was scared, scared that if he'd open them that the eyes would still be there. He carefully opened just one of his eyes and scanned the Forest before him. Nothing.. no steps, no glaring eyes, nothing at all. He sighed heavily as he moved along the road and then he saw her again. The last with her firey red hair, and she was.. looking at him. No, stareing at him. "crazy old lady" Kiba muttered.

He walked through the vast streets of London and then, just before reaching the Leaky Cauldron he spotted a man, limping due to his prostatic leg. 'Odd' he thought he entered the inn, greated Tom and the regulars like he did every day and headed up the stairs towards his room. But little did he expect someone to stand by his window.

The old wizard turned around at the song of the door and greeted the confused boy. "I reckon that you're surprised to see me" he spoke calmly. It seemed like the man had reinvented his look a bit. His beard now had a band that tied it together near the bottom, and his robes were more slim then they had been.

"A bit" Kiba replied "what do you want?"

"Well, you said you couldn't forgive yourself" Dumbledore began gesturing for Kiba to sit down on the bed "but i do. And i wanted you to know that none blame you for what happened"

"you've already told me that," Kiba replied stareing at his feet.

"yes.. but to show you, that no one blamed you, I've issued a trial. And the ministry of Magic demands your appearance" Dumbledore said

"A trial?" Kiba asked in confusion.

"Yes. If you're found guilty, like you think you are, then you shall suffer the consequences"

"and if they say I'm not?"

"Then you can come back to Hogwarts, knowing full well that you are not guilty" Dumbledore smiled at the boy as he looked over his half-moon spectacles.

"fine. It doesn't matter anyways. When I'm found guilty or not.." Kiba said ' _i can't forgive… me'_

 **\--**

 **An:** I'm back!


	25. Chapter 25: Guilt

Chapter 25: Guilt

Kiba waited patiently in the Leaky Cauldron for Dumbledore to arrive. Her was dressed in his finest clothing and nervously taped his fingers against one another as his trial drew closer. "Kiba!" he heard a familiar voice call to him just moments before he was attacked with a hug. Hermione hung herself around the continuously growing boy "it's so good to see you again, how've you been?" she asked releasing him.

"up and down honestly, i got that thing going here so that's good.."

"are you still feeling guilty for running away?" she asked him carefully trying to make him look her in the eyes

"Maybe.." he sighed again. Only now did Hermione realize how well the boy was dressed. He looked almost like Draco's father, wearing expensive clothes. "they weren't expensive, Dumbledore told me to dress."

"why?"

"for my trial" he replied averting his gaze

"trial? Trial for what?" she asked with disbelieve as she walked to his other side to see his face again

"For last year?"

"Bu-"

"I Attacked 19 people!" he cut her off louder then he intended "Hermione, unlike you i can't forgive.. well, Me" Hermione wanted to speak but another voice cut her off, calling for Kiba

"Kiba, my boy" the red haired man stepped towards them

"Remus" Kinda greeted the man, slightly ashamed that Lupin, of all the wizards he knew, was the one accompanying him

"time to go, we don't want to be late"

"Sure. See you Hermione" Kiba said as he followed the man out of the pub and into the morning light. Kiba walked silently alongside the man at they wandered through the alleys of London until they reached a red phone booth.

"Here, after you" Lupin held the door open as they stepped inside. Lupin simply pressed five buttons and without a warning the inside moved towards the ground as they disappeared from view. The Muggles didn't even seem to notice as the booth disappeared into the ground and was replaced with a new, empty one.

The view as they traveled down into the gigantic Hall filled with wizards and witches was astounding. A giant, round, Stone fountain stood centered in the center of the giant circular gathering are which the hall led to. The fires in the hundreds of chimneys burned green as wizards after witch stepped out from them. Lupin opened the booth door and slightly pushed the boy forward as they walked side by side again. The circular part seemingly had no ceiling as it ascended upwards for as far as Kiba could see, most of the glass windows on the wall covered by a giant moving poster of the minister himself. They entered an elevator and held on to the knots that hung from the ceiling as the elevator rumbled and instead of going up or down, instead traveled backwards first and then up.

"don't be scared of the minister," Lupin said suddenly once the elevator was empty of all other wizards and witches. Kiba looked at the man curiously "he might be a powerful man and wizard, but he it's bound to the law more then any of us"

"But he won't be the only one judging me," Kiba replied "i know how a court trial works" Lupin chuckled at that

"I figured, but you're not going into a tradition trial" the elevator stopped and moved forwards towards a single for. On it hung a golden name plate.

'Cornelius Fudge. Minister of Magic' Kiba read to himself, now realizing what was happening.

"You, along with Dumbledore will be having a private trial"

"And you?" Kiba asked

"I'm simply here as your guardian. You are underage after all" he said. He knocked on the door and waited for it to open by itself. "I'll be right out here once your done" Lupin smiled reassuringly as Kiba entered the office where the two men were already waiting.

"good morning, Kiba" Dumbledore said kindly, as always.

"please sit, Mr. Scamander" Fudge said more sternly. Kiba sat down not knowing what to expect. "now, Mr. Scamander. Dumbledore had filled me in, that you want to be judged for your committed crimes. He had described it to me but if very much like to hear it from you"

"it started when i found an old diary in mid-October which, as i understand it, concealed a memory of Vold-" Kiba sensed the men stare at him dangerously, he cleared his throat and continued "He-who-must-not-be-named. And he used me to open the chamber of secrets like he himself had done fifty years prior. I obeyed and used the basilisk from the chamber to attack and nearly kill Argus Filch and his cat" Kiba revealed all his attacks and the reasoning behind them to the minister.

Fudge looked unimpressed as the boy finished the story. He shuddered as he remembered again what he had done, not just last year but to Quirrell too. "Dumbledore, is this a joke?" he asked

"far from it, this boy wants to be judged for his crimes" Dumbledore replied

"You know that he will never return, Dumbledore. He was destroyed, more then a decade ago" Fudge said

"wether that be true or not, Kiba needs to know if he is guilty of the crimes committed at Hogwarts this past year?"

"Ahem" a high pitched and irritating throat clear suddenly stopped them all. A woman dressed in all Pink stepped into the room as she overheard Dumbledore. "guilty or not, the story seems to be imagination" she said in a positive tone "he-who-must-not-be-named disappeared when his curse failed and took his life. Therefore, this boy must be lying" she spoke in a disgustingly positive tone even when she spoke ill of others and smiled throughout.

"I agree with Miss Umbridge. Innocent. No go, i have other things of greater importance to do" he said waving them off and turning to the woman dressed in pink.

Kiba stepped out of the office followed by Dumbledore. Fudge's judgement hasn't satisfied him, but it did Dumbledore. He placed his hand in Kiba's shoulder and spoke softly "I'll see you in Hogwarts" and without another word, he vanished.

"And, i take it you were found innocent?" Lupin asked with his jacket hanging from his arms. Kiba nodded silently and stepped into the elevator. "I didn't doubt it. Here, for you"

He handed Kiba an envelope with familiar green ink writing on it. When he grabbed it a strange smile appeared on his face, a smile of happiness or of joy maybe. He never really wanted to leave Hogwarts he only wanted to protect those there from himself and what he came from, who he came from. Before Kiba even realized it, they were on their way through the alleys of London towards the familiar pub. "train leaves tomorrow, don't forget to get it done today, yes? Good" Lupin said with a smile before leaving the boy outside the pub, Kiba simply nodded and waved.

Kiba didn't waste much time ultimately heading into Diagon Alley with Hermione and Ron. "can't believe we're going to see your vault," Ron said excitedly as the goblin turned the key "did i tell you that we went to Egypt during the holidays?"

"Twice already, Ron" Kiba replied as he stepped into the large room

"Bloody-" Hermione quickly turned Ron away from the vault and waited patiently

"don't be rude Ron, that's Kiba's private vault" she explained. The vault for closed behind them and together with Kiba and the goblin they ride the cart back to the surface so they could get Kiba's supplies. "Have you chosen your electives yet?" Hermione asked

"yeah, I'm definitely taking Care of Magical creatures" he said with a smile "i was thinking of Ancient Runes and Arithmacy for the other two"

"Here," Hermione said dropping a few books into the boy's hands "you'll need those for your electives"

"thanks, 'mione" he said with a huff as he carried the heavy books to the counter to pay for them. The three continued on for a few more shops, buying a bit of candy along the way until Hermione dragged them into the magical creature store.

"I mean you three all have pets" she said responding to Kiba's curious look "about time i get one too"

"Maybe i should get Scabbers checked out, he hasn't been looking right since Egypt" Ron said. Hermione looked around at the cages for any creature that would interest her. Ron walked behind her with his Rat Scabbers carefully cradled in his hands.

"good day children, looking for any particular pet?" the man behind the counter asked "ho, Mister Scamander-"

"I'm not here to buy today sir, she is" Kiba said quickly before the man could offer him an exotic pet he couldn't resist. Hermione was still browsing the cages as Ron approached the counter.

"How can i help you?" the man asked Ron

"Well, i went to Egypt and my rat hasn't been the same since" he said handing the Rat to the man who placed his glasses on his nose.

"Hmm." The man looked at Scabbers "how old is this fella?"

"I'm not sure sir, he used to belong to my brother" Ron replied

"do you know what powers this rat has.. if any?"

"Erm…" Ron didn't have an answer

"I'd say that this is a common garden rat, they live roughly three to four years" he might be reaching the end of his line. The man gave Scabbers back to Ron who was clearly saddened by the news. Kiba frowned at the information but was distracted when suddenly a cat hissed from the top of the shelf and broke out from it's cage.

'Bad Rat! Bad Rat! Bad Rat!' it shouted as it leaped onto Ron's head and took a swing at Scabbers. Ron quickly shook his head but they cat stayed on as he tucked Scabbers into his pocket. The cat didn't waste a second diving to the ground and attacking Ron's pocket. The shopkeeper had to restrain the cat and put it into a new cage to save Ron

"What kind of a monster is that?!" he asked

"it's a Cat Ronald" Hermione answered as she continued to Snicker

"A cat? Is that what they told you? That thing looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me" Ron said angrily

"That's rich coming from the owner of that smelly old shoebrush!" Ron didn't reply, he instead turned and left the shop. "how much for the cat, sir?"

"this one, sixty-two galleons" he replied "not just a Cat, it's half Kneazle" Hermione dropped a handful of galleons on the table "this is fifty-six, I'm going to need-" Kiba put on ten more of the golden coin and the two left the store quickly.

"half Kneazle, that's something" Kiba said "high intelligence, very loyal not to mention that they can sniff out evil intentions" Hermione looked at the cat in the cage with excitement

"You bought that thing?" Ron asked in disbelief as they stepped out of the store

"Yes, i bought him. His name is... Crookshanks"

"you named it too?" Ron said now more as a joke as they started walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron to get some dinner with the Weasleys.

Kiba stayed up late helping Tom one last night before he would eventually go to Hogwarts the next day, as he did Tom suddenly headed for the door and not long later returned with none other then Harry Potter. They didn't speak when Harry passed the boy standing behind the counter, they simply exchanged glances and Harry's screamed that he was in trouble. The man with the metal leg and the red haired woman both turned their heads towards Harry but remained seated, as they had done so often when something happened. "you should probably head to bed now Kiba," one of the other workers said "we'll do the rest"

"Alright," Kiba said "thanks. Good night"

"Thank you for all the help these last few months, Good night" he replied kindly as he too looked at the two guests. Kiba shook his head and then headed for the stairs and his room.

'Hogwarts, huh?' Kiba thought to himself as he laid down 'wonder who I'm going to kill this year' he sighed and turned to his side to look out of the window but it showed him nothing but darkness. What would have been a sky full of stars was nothing but a bed of dark clouds. But then Kiba saw two holes in the clouds, which each let one star shine through. It looked like two peering eyes in the darkness.. like those eyes in the woods.

* * *

 **AN** : so yeah, Harry just got to the Leaky Cauldron which means POA officially starts now. next chapter is back to Hogwarts!

Leave a review, let me know what you think of the story!

 **PM me your OC for a cameo**


	26. Chapter 26: Distractions

**AN:** I'm back! it took me a while to settle in at my new place and job but I've done it and I'm back to writing the story.

i hope you're all doing well during the Covid-19 Quarantine. I'm bored, but videogames keep me alive. enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 26: Distractions

It didn't take long until Kiba woke up the next morning. He headed down the stairs and saw most of the Weasleys at the giant table along with Hermione. Harry was on the sideline talking with Mister Weasley and Kiba didn't want to bother them and sat down next to Hermione. "good morning" he said carefully as he got some food on his plate. A floating kettle came by and filled his cup with tea.

"Good morning, Kiba" Hermione replied as she cradled her cat in her arms. "ready to go back to Hogwarts?"

"More or less," Kiba said "wondering what dangers we'll have to face this time around" Hermione chuckled and covered her mouth with her hands when she saw something sticking out of his bag. A familiar letter, she snatched it and looked at it closely. One corner was ripped open but the contents obviously haven't been viewed.

"This is your mom's" she said, only now Kiba realized that Hermione held the letter and he snatched it back "you still haven't read it?"

"I wanted to," Kiba said "but I'm scared of what might be written inside" Hermione smacked the back of his head softly and looked at him

"Idiot," she said "read it"

"Later" Kiba replied more forcefully, signaling Hermione to stop pushing it. The two started at each other in silence for a moment until Mrs Weasley could be heard loudly announcing that they had to head for the station soon. And indeed, Kiba looked at his watch and realized that the train would leave in about fourty minutes. He finished his food quickly and left a bit of tea in the cup as he prepared to leave.

Together with the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry, Kiba walked to the station. His mother's letter was in his bag which hung from his shoulder. It didn't take long until they had all boarded the train and ended up in a compartment which was occupied by one other. "who do you suppose that is?" Ron asked

"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione replied quickly

"how do you know that? How is it that she knows everything?" Ron asked in disbelief

"It's on the suitcase, Ron" Kiba said pointing above them as he sat down next to the man. Harry sat next to him and Ron and Hermione were seated on the other side.

"what do you think he's teaching?" Harry asked

"well there's only one vacancy, right? Defence against the dark arts" Kiba replied. The quartet had already had two different teachers for the subject but both only lasted a year. Quirell due to his untimely demise and Lockhart due to Ron's broken wand which her gotten a replacement for now.

"do you think he's really asleep?" Harry asked as the train began moving.

"Think so" Kiba replied. Harry got up and shut the sliding door of the compartment.

"I've got to tell you something" he said darkly as he sat back down. Kiba, who was retrieving his mother's letter stopped and listened as Harry began talking. "Mr Weasley told me to keep it to myself, but you guys are my friends. I'm in danger"

"when are you not?" Ron asked sarcastically

"This is different. Sirius Black, heard of him?" Harry continued "he broke out of Askaban, and now he's coming for me"

"why?" Hermione asked, concern covering her entire face

"he was a spy for you-know-who. He killed a friend of my parents, Peter Pettigrew and told you-know-who where my parents were hiding." Harry explained "and apparently he found out that i survived, and now he's coming to finish what was started"

"So Sirius Black has escaped Askaban to come after you?" Ron asked after Harry had finished his elongated story, Harry could only nod. The four debated on wether it was true, if Hogwarts was safe, how Black had escaped Askaban and if they could take him on if it came to it. The sun had gone under and darkness had overtaken the land, signaling that hogsmeade wasn't far anymore. Suddenly the train rumbled and came to a stop.

"What's going on?" asked Harry confused. Kiba quickly got up and poked his head out of the sliding door as did many others in the compartments left and right but the entire wagon shook and sent Kiba stumbling back inside the compartment. Luckily Harry reacted quickly and cought him, setting him back down on the bench.

"Ouch Ron, that was my foot.." Hermione complained as Ron leaned toward the window to look outside.

"There's something moving out there," He said placing his hand on the glass "i swear" the train shook again as a sudden chill overcame them. The window began to cover in ice and Lupin's water bottle also froze quickly. The lights turned off by themselves as the cold grew more intense. It suddenly felt like all happiness had disappeared from the world, and would never return as a cloaked figure came into view outside their compartment. It's cloak revealed a hand of bone which opened the sliding door without touching it.

Crookshanks hissed evilly on Hermione's lap and Scabbers hid himself beneath Ron's shirt as the figure floated into their compartment. As far as anyone could tell it was just the skeleton of an upper body, but the head was different. Underneath the hood was pure darkness except for one feature that Kiba could see, a mouth. A giant mouth, more round then a humans mouth. It scanned the room with it's nonexistent eyes and stopped at Harry and Kiba. The creatures jaw unhinged and with a strange noise it began inhaling. Harry began shaking violently beside Kiba as another creature, identical to the already present one swooped into the room and began doing the same to Kiba. Kiba could feel it, it was sucking something out of him. His happiness, his conscience, maybe his entire soul Kiba didn't know, he also didn't know what to do, how to defend himself as Hermione and Ron remained motionless.

Harry suddenly slumped over and fell against Kiba as Lupin rose from his seat with a brilliant blue glow emitting from his Wand. The creatures retreated but Kiba slipped away himself. Falling over on the bench, unconscious.

 _Amelia sat in silence holding her nearly two year old son in her arms. The doors opened and a hooded man glided into the room._ _"My Lord," Amelia said softly "you're leaving?" the man didn't reply immediately, he placed his head on the infants head. The young boy giggled at the touch and playfully flailed his arms around._

 _"you've heard the prophecy," he said, his voice quiet and broken. He looked at the women, his irises Scarlett red like they were filled with nothing but hate. "I have to stop it, i cannot let the Potter boy live" he rose to his feet again. Amelia spotted a sword beneath his robes_

 _"My Lord, he's just a baby, like your son. Stay here, with him, i fear that tonight might end badly… for us all" Amelia replied_

 _"It won't," the man answered turning towards her "tonight, i shall become immortal!" he glided out of the room and left the woman with their child in the quiet dark of the room. And she sat there, rocking her son as she quietly hummed a lullaby._

 _The baby was almost asleep after a long while when the doors to the room shot open quickly and a familiar face entered._ _"Amelia, come quick!" he said_

 _"Severus, what's going on?" she asked rising from her seat and rushing after the dark haired man_ _"the dark lord," he said_

 _"has he returned? Did he succeed?" she asked, more terror in her voice then Snape had ever heard_

 _"No, He failed." He replied as the two stepped out into the dark night "the boy survived! You have to flee, this is your one chance!"_

 _"But, i am bound to him. I Lo-"_

 _"I know you don't," Snape interrupted "i know the prophecy. And like your allegiances, mine don't lie with him either" Severus spoke quickly but quietly, leaving the young mother in shock. If Snape knew that she wasn't loyal to the dark lord, then who else? "now go! Hide! They will come for him" he added placing his hand on the infants head. He let go and without another word disappeared._

 _"Amelia!?" an identifiable, high pitched voice followed by an evil cackle brought her to reality "are you out here dear?" a flash of light in the distance caused Amelia to react as she apparated, and like Snape, disappeared from the manor._

 _She breathed a sigh of relief as she found herself on a street in London, but it wasn't quiet. Her son was more then upset, crying loudly and swinging his arms and legs around violently._ _"I'm sorry, i know that apparating sucks but it was the only way out" the mother said apologetically as the baby threw up his last meal, but that wasn't all. Whatever spell Bellatrix had cast had made a small cut on the baby's chin. "calm down Kiba, momma is here to protect you" with a quick wave of her Wand she conjured a hooded cloak as she ran through the dark streets until she found what she had been looking for "Leverton's… I'm sorry Kiba… but you'll be safe here" she conjured a basket and knocked on the door before placing the baby in front of it with two letters she had prepared in advance, before turning back to the street with tears flooding her face. She continued running down the street to bring as much distance between her and him before they found her._

Her _arm suddenly began burning with a searing pain, it was the mark that send the sensation through her body as suddenly multiple death eaters appeared around her. "thought you could run, dear?" asked Bellatrix with a cackle "where's the boy?"_

 _"I don't know, the dark lord had him" she replied_

 _"now, now Amelia" Lucius said approaching her carefully "no need to lie, we're among friends are we not?"_

 _"Friends? You think any of you are my friends?!" Amelia replied "you tortured me for months.. don't think I've forgotten, especially you Malfoy"_

 _"I-" before Lucius could speak the sidewalk underneath his feet folded itself nearly squashing him. His body turned to smoke and he was able to fly out of harms way before his body reformed. He saw three death eaters flat on their backs, motionless, most likely dead. He looked further and saw the wand streams of Bellatrix and Amelia had crossed. He retrieved his own wand and aimed it at the woman. But she reacted unexpectedly using her wandless hand she used her magic to seemingly grab him by the neck and slam him down on the pavement knocking him out cold._

Bellatrix _laughed devilishly "won't be so easy with me, love" she said "where's the boy?"_

 _"You'll never touch him, never" Amelia said darkly she redirected the wand stream causing both spells to miss before she conjured a blinding bright light which she used to apparate to safety. But as she breathed her sigh of relief her breath hinged as she felt something cut into her flesh._

 _"I know you to well" Bellatrix snarled as she stabbed her dagger into Amelia a second time "where's the boy?" Amelia sunk to her knees._

 _"this is not about him!" she said lighting Bellatrix's robes on fire. She pulled the dagger out of her side and tossed it aside, but Bellatrix was fast as a curse struck Amelia which made it hard for her to breathe, besides the blood pouring from her midsection. She threw a few hexes and jinxes at the witch herself and both sunk to their knees as their wand streams crossed again. "this was never about him for you, you're still jealous!"_

 _"I should've been the mother to his child!" Bellatrix screamed out "but he chose you.."_

 _"you weren't worthy," Amelia said "you never were, you never will be. You will never carry a child of the dark lord.. he will never love you" Amelia yelled "just like he never loved me"_

 _"but you are weak, weaker, weaker then me! Why would he chose you?!" Bellatrix screamed like a crazy person_

 _"you couldn't get him off" Amelia said. Bellatrix was boiling, her stream increased and blasted Amelia's wand into Oblivion. Bellatrix walked over to her and smiled as she held her by the throat._

 _"Tell me where the boy is. I will find him anyway, i will raise him properly. And he, like his great father, shall become a dark lord"_

 _"You will never get to him. He will always do the right thing. He will never be like him!" Bellatrix was suddenly thrown back, she rolled over the grass and looked back at Amelia. Amelia raised her hand and with a loud yell severed her left arm. It dropped to the ground but Amelia smiled before she disappeared._

 _The dark Mark was gone, Bellatrix couldn't find her now. Amelia found herself in front of Leverton's as she collapsed against the door which opened soon after._ _"Crawford!" the woman inside yelled, the younger woman came rushing to her side as they helped the injured witch._

 _"Don't," Amelia whispered as they prepared to tend to her wounds "i just want to see him"_

 _"who, dear?" The madam of the orphanage asked_

 _"Kiba," Amelia replied "i left him by your door"_ _the two woman looked at each other as the older one rushed off. Amelia pulled the younger one in closer and whispered into her ear. "his name is Kiba Rolf Scamander, he's a wizard like I'm a witch" Amelia said "once he's eleven he will go to a school for wizards and witches called Hogwarts, when that time comes give him the letter"_

 _"Which one, love?" Crawford asked_

 _"The one with his name in red ink and the heart in the corner," Amelia said "strange things will happen around him.. please, take care of him"_

 _"I will"_

 _"Promise me!"_

 _"I promise, i will care for him as if he were my own"_

 _"Thank you" Amelia said as she rested on the bed._

 _"No, don't go. Madam Helaway, she's slipping away" just then the madam returned with the infant. Amelia opened her eyes, and kissed the boy on the forehead before gently touching the wound on his chin with one of her bloody fingers as she whispered very quietly into the infants ears. She fell back, and with one last breath her life faded. Crawford looked at the boy and saw, where the wound had been was now nothing but a scar._

 _Though she didn't breathe, Amelia could still see.. herself. Lying in the bed, staining it red with the blood pouring from her severed arm. But she smiled, knowing that they would never, ever get to him._

Kiba opened his eyes slowly, he sat upright from his dream. His first instinct was to look at the door to the compartment, where the creatures were, but they were gone. Beside him Harry woke up as well. Lupin was no longer asleep, he sat across from them next to Ron. While Hermione was kneeling on the compartment floor by the two boys. "here" Lupin said holding out a piece of chocolate to both of them "it's chocolate. It helps"

"those things," Kiba began "what were they" they all looked at the compartment door

"Dementors, the guards of Askaban" Lupin replied "they boarded the train to search for Sirius Black. They're gone now" Lupin got up and stepped out of the compartment. Kiba's and Hermione's worried expressions met each other And Hermione got up from the compartment floor "if you'd excuse me, i need to have a little word with the driver. Eat, it really helps" he said as he closed the compartment door and disappeared to the right.

"what happened?" Harry asked, his face filled with confusion.

"Well, those things came in and the two of you began shaking. I thought you were having a fit or something and then you fainted" Ron explained "i felt weird though, like I'd never be cheerful again" Hermione and Kiba continued to look at each other. It seemed like they were having a conversation through their eyes

"Hermione, you screamed" Harry said. Hermione turned her head but had trouble everting her gaze from the Hazel eyes of Kiba

"No one was screaming Harry" Ron replied

"But i heard it, a woman, screaming" Harry said as he looked out into the rainy night. No one answered, they were all dealing with what happened, with the cold and sadness, the dispair that hadn't disappeared. But Kiba quickly pulled something out of his bag and ripped it open. Hermione looked closely and spotted the name in red ink and the heart in the corner above it.

 _'my dear Kiba, my little boy. You're taking your first steps into the world you are meant to be in. If you're reading this, i can assume that you're still in Leverton's._

 _Let me tell you something. I most likely won't be around anymore, I'm sure I'm not. But, there's something you need to know.. people might tell you things about me. Things that aren't true. But there's more, your father is a dark wizard. His name is Tom Riddle, but he's known by the name Voldemort. And if he finds out that you're alive, then he will come after you._

 _If people tell you that you are evil, if you are put in Slytherin, then that doesn't matter. What matters is that you become your own person, and that you do the right thing. I.. didn't. I was part of an organization that intended to defeat your father. But i was captured during an infiltration, and gained his trust, made him believe that i had come to join his cause. But my loyalty was questioned, and that's how you came along. I just hope that i get you to Leverton's safely. And if not, then i can only hope that you don't follow in his footsteps._

 _I think, what I'm trying to say is.. who i was, doesn't matter. Who your father is, doesn't matter. You have to be yourself, you have to master yourself, then you shall achieve great things. Your wizard story begins now._

 _And.. if he finds you. Run. Run as fast and as far as you can._

 _Momma loves you_ '

Hermione could see Kiba's eyes water. Wether from his unconscious dream, or the letter.. or both, she didn't know. She wanted to sit beside him, hug him, comfort him. But she knew he wouldn't want that. And Ron would never let it drop afterwards, she knew that.

Kiba carefully placed the letter back in the envelope and stored it in his bag as he looked out of the window distantly. Hermione thought she could lighten the mood and began a conversation about hogsmeade, but to no avail. Harry was even more disheartened. The Dursley's hasn't signed his form, and not even the minister would sign it. And Kiba didn't even join the conversation, but Hermione figured that he didn't have a signed form either since he ran away from the orphanage. Lupin returned from his journey to the driver and entered the compartment.

"I didn't poison that chocolate you know," he said "you two should eat it" both Harry and Kiba finally took bites from their pieces and felt a sudden warmth in their bodies. From their fingertips all the way to their toes. It did help, it helped loads.

Hermione sighed as the train slowed down not ten minutes later and they finally arrived at the station. Crookshanks protested as she placed him back in his basket and closed it. They all got off, and took a carriage along with Ginny, Neville and Luna Lovegood, a girl from Ginny's year. Ginny introduced her to the others and they all greeted her openly. "what's that you're reading Luna?" asked Kiba curiously. He was sitting opposite to the dirty blonde.

"oh, my father's magazine. He is the author of 'The Quibbler'" she said cheerfully

"You do realize you're holding it upside-down.. right?" Kiba asked

"fully aware," she said as if there wasn't anything wrong with it.. and there wasn't. it was simply.. odd.

"so, the Quibbler.. is that like a news magazine?" Kiba asked again to keep the conversation going

"Yes, in a way. Much more accurate and interesting then the Daily prophet in my opinion" She replied her silvery eyes finally looking up at the boy. She stopped for the second and then held the magazine it towards Kiba "have a look if you want, my favorite article is usually about the unusual magical creatures" Kiba flipped a few pages and found the article

"Flock Fly?" Kiba said with a chuckle "never heard of that one"

"It's a species of Fly that only fly in groups, never on their own" Luna said as Kiba handed the magazine back to her "they can be dangerous in large numbers, they like to eat human skin" everyone remained quiet during the rest of the carriage ride and on their way into the great Hall.

"Granger, Potter, Scamander!" the stern voice of none other then Professor McGonagall echoed over the crowd. The three quickly made their way back and stopped by the Professor. "don't look so worried, i just want a word in my office" she said leading them away from the great Hall. They entered the office where they were welcomed by a warm fire, McGonagall ordered them to sit as she settled behind her desk. "Professor Lupin send an owl ahead saying that you two had taken ill on the train" she said, but before anyone could speak there was a knock on the door and Madan Pomfrey entered.

"oh, it's you two, is it?" Pomfrey said as she bent down to examine Harry "i suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"

"It were Dementors, Poppy" said Professor McGonagall as the two women exchanged dark looks. Pomfrey bent down to examine Kiba aswell as she raved on about the Dementors being at Hogwarts. "what do they need? Bed rest? Should they perhaps stay in the hospital wing tonight?"

"I don't think so" Pomfrey replied "some chocolate would do the trick"

"We already had some" Harry said quickly, his face flushed red with embarrassment.

"Rem-.. Professor Lupin gave us some" Kiba added

"did he? Good" Pomfrey said "finally a Defence against the Dark Arts teacher who knows what he's doing" she added. She promptly left closely followed by Kiba and Harry as Hermione remained inside with McGonagall a little longer. Once they came out McGonagall led the three back into the great Hall, once inside McGonagall left for her seat as the other the looked for their seats near Ron. The Gryffindor table was second from the left and Hermione was already walking along the left side while Harry and Kiba walked akwardly through the middle of the hall just as the spring Harry was taken away.

"Potter!" they heard someone hiss. They turned to the Slytherin table on their right and it was none other then Draco and his goons, Crabbe and Goyle. "is it true you fainted?" he asked as Goyle faked a faint "you actually fainted?!"

"Shove off, Draco" Kiba said turning Harry away as they proceeded to their seats. Kiba wanted to say more. He wanted Draco to face a Dementor and see how he'd react, but he couldn't.

"great.. how'd he find out?" Harry asked ashamed

"Just forget it" Kiba said unable to find any better words. Just then Dumbledore stepped up to his podium as the golden owl that was at the front of it stretched it's wings out. Once again Kiba saw how much he had changed over the holidays, his robes less colorful, and his beard no longer hanging loosely but tied near the end.

"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts." Dumbledore began "now, I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First, i want to welcome Professor R. J. Lupin, who's kindly consented to fill the post of Defence against the Dark arts teacher. Good luck, Professor!" The applause was mild, it was mostly just Harry, Kiba and Hermione along with a few others clapping. Lupin had always looked normal to Kiba, but next to the other teachers he looked shabby. Lupin seemed invited by this and stood with a smile and bowed slightly before sitting down. "Secondly, Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical creatures teacher for many years, has decided to retire in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I'm delighted to announce, that his place will be taken by none other then our own Rubeus Hagrid" The Gryffindor table applauded furiously as Hagrid rose from his seat shaking the teachers table. Hermione even yelled out a woo-hoo for good measure. "Finally, on a more describing note, at the request of the Ministry of Magic. Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban, until such a time Sirius Black is captured" whispering broke out among several students and most of the first years looked like they were ready to empty their bladders, but Dumbledore continued "the Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds, now whilst I've been assured that their presence will not disrupt our day to day activities, a word of caution... Dementors are vicious creatures, they will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one that gets in their way. Therefore i must warn each and every one of you, to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving" silence had fallen over the entire Hall "but you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.." Dumbledore moved his hand past the candles on the right side of his podium which all extinguished immediately "when one only remembers, to turn on the light" he moved his hand back along the candles and they all lit up again "now let's eat!"

Harry and Ron began eating quickly but Kiba barely ate anything. He proceeded to stare at the ceiling into the cloudy night sky. Hermione knew something was bugging him but couldn't tell what it was and not long later they were on their way to the common room where they stopped before the fat Lady. Suddenly a voice could be heard behind them "I'm head boy, let me through" Percy got to the front and announced the new password loudly which Neville, who stood beside Kiba noted down on a piece of parchment. Kiba was just about to enter when Percy's hand stopped him by the chest. "the headmaster wanted to speak to you before you go to sleep" he said "you better go now" Kiba was tired but he knew that protesting wouldn't do any good so he left without another word proceeding further up the moving stairs and ultimately to the guardian gargoyle.

Kiba walked up the spiral staircase and knocked on the door, but to his surprise it wasn't Dumbledore who told him to come in with his kind voice. No, it was Flitwick, the small half-goblin man. Kiba entered and saw that all head of houses were present along with Dumbledore. Kiba felt frightened underneath their stares, expecting to be scolded for last year. "no need to be scared, Mister Scamander" Flitwick said. Flitwick had seemingly reinvented himself aswell. His black hair was in a bowl cut and his beard was gone, leaving nothing but a mustache above his lip and his green robes replaced by a black suit.

"Thank you for coming, Kiba" Dumbledore spoke "as i had expected, you didn't respond to your Hogwarts letter. So before term starts, there are a few things we need to know"

"of course" Kiba replied

"First off, about your electives" McGonagall said taking the word "are you familiar with the subjects you can choose from?"

"Yes, and i have chosen. I have all the necessary books as well" Kiba replied

"Which electives have you chosen?" McGonagall asked once more

"Arithmacy, Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures" Kiba said quickly, sure of his decision. The latter elective brought a smile to Dumbledore face.

"As you are most likely aware" Snape began "Third-years are permitted to visit hogsmeade on the weekends." He held out a piece of paper which Kiba took from him.

"I can't have it signed though" Kiba said

"if you look at it you will find that it has been signed" he said before walking past Kiba and leaving the office. Kiba saw that Snape himself had signed it, he wanted to ask but was cut off by McGonagall who have him a wand, his Wand.

"of course, classes would be difficult without your wand" McGonagall said "good night" she too along with Flitwick and Sprout left.

"Kiba, my boy." Dumbledore said once the silence had settled "i have thought of a way through which we can make sure that you don't wander off again"

"you mean, a way through which you can monitor me, so i don't go killing again?" Kiba replied sarcastically

"yes," Dumbledore replied to Kiba's surprise "since Hagrid is new to the post of Care of Magical Creatures you will be his assistant. Every other day and one day on the weekends you will assist him with his duties as caretaker for the Magical creatures. This way we know something is wrong if you don't show up."

"Alright, i can do that" Kiba replied "I'll learn lots about the creatures too. I guess that's a benefit"

"Yes, but don't forget your homework. Stay strong, Kiba. Good night"

"good night, Professor" Dumbledore disappeared through the opening behind his desk to what Kiba could only assume were his private chambers. He himself made his way back to the common room, he spoke the new password and proceeded up the spiral staircase all the way to the top where the sign on the dorm door now read Third-years.

"Gettin' in trouble already, are ya?" asked Sheamus as Kiba entered, the boys were gathered by Neville's and Dean's beds. Either sitting on them or on a chair beside them. Harry himself was sitting by the window, while Ron sat on Dean's bed next to Harry.

"no," Kiba replied noticing that the boys weren't sitting together to talk, but to share new candies that Sheamus had gotten. Dean pulled up a chair for Kiba. "I just got some duties this year and Dumbledore wanted to explain them to me" he sat down and soon they were all laughing as Neville took a candy that made him sound like an Elephant, and Ron one that made him roar like a Lion. Kiba also took one and broke out into a howl not a second later, followed by Seamus who turned into a monkey. They were having a great time being back in Hogwarts, and while some like Neville were already in their pajamas, other were still wearing their robes, like Sheamus who had undone his tie and instead tied it around his head as some sort of a joke. But before they all knew it they were in their beds, sleeping tight, maybe snoring a bit, before waking up the next morning.

The quartet headed down to the great Hall for breakfast, and when they walked past Draco he made an overdramatic fainting motion which lead to the rest of the Slytherin's around him roaring with laughter. Trying his best to ignore it Harry walked on and sat down next to George on the left. "here," the tall Weasley said holding out a small stack of papers "third-year timetables, these are yours" Hermione grabbed them, quickly looked for her timetable and passed it on. Ron finally found his seat on the right side of George and also found his timetable. Kiba and Hermione sat opposite of them on either side of Fred as Kiba glanced over he couldn't help but notice that Hermione had three classes at once. All this morning at 9 o' clock.

He looked at his own timetable and read it to himself 'Monday: Arithmacy, Transfiguration (with Hufflepuff), Defence against the Dark arts (with Slytherin), Potions (with Slytherin).. Tuesday: Double Care for Magical Creatures (with Slytherin), Astronomy, Charms (with Ravenclaw).. Wednesday: Double Herbology (with Ravenclaw), Ancient Runes, History of Magic.. Thursday: Transfiguration (with Hufflepuff), Defence against the Dark arts (with Slytherin), Double Charms (with Ravenclaw)... Friday: Double Potions (with Slytherin), Flying (optional)..' Kiba sighed and checked which days he could easiest assist Hagrid. Just then an owl swooped past and dropped a letter into Kiba's lap.

He opened it and recognized Hagrid handwriting immediately.

' _Dear Kiba, I'm very excited ter have yer as me assistant. Would you like to come over for a cup o' tea? Maybe after classes? I'd like yer 'elp preparin' me firs' lesson. See yer, Hagrid_ '

Kiba smiled slightly, telling himself that working beside Hagrid won't be bad, he does know the lingo when it comes to Magical Creatures, especially the rare ones.

Kiba finally began eating as breakfast was coming to an end, he was either to distracted by his timetable or his thoughts and soon he was walking alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the great Hall. "we've got Divination now" Ron muttered "I've never been in the North tower, how do we get there?"

"don't know, haven't been there either" Harry replied "what class are you having Hermione?" he asked the bushy haired, buck-teethed girl.

"Divination for me too, Kiba?" the three looked at the boy, he shook his head.

"I hope Arithmacy isn't boring," he said checking his timetable for the class location "I'll see you all in Transfiguration" he added as he walked in the opposite direction. Kiba had barely gotten away from the great Hall when Hermione appeared beside him.

"Hermione, i thought you had Divination?!" he said

"yeah, my bad. I'm actually in Arithmacy, i thought of taking Divination at first.. that's why i got confused" Kiba simple shrugged it off. Indeed it was a little odd for Hermione to get classes confused, but it was the first day so he didn't blame her. They entered the classroom and together sat down at one of the double desks in the third row as the rest of the class also slowly entered.

"Good morning students and welcome to your first Arithmacy lesson, I am Professor Vector. Now, in this class your mind will be tested, and quite possibly driven to it's limits" the teacher spoke. Her voice was feminine and strong like McGonagall's but didn't instill the same authority. She went on to explain what Arithmacy is and what the topics of the term would be before starting the lesson. Arithmacy was easily the most difficult subject Kiba had taken in Hogwarts, and even Hermione agreed that most of it was hard to understand. The two were headed towards McGonagall's classroom for their Transfiguration lesson but Hermione suddenly pulled Kiba into an empty classroom.

"Okay, listen" she said stopping Kiba from protesting. She reached into her shirt and revealed a necklace. "i thought i could fool the three of you, but seeing as you're in only one elective that Harry and Ron are in too i have to tell you"

"what's that?" Kiba asked grabbing the necklace which looked like a small hourglass surrounded by several golden rings. Hermione smacked his hand away

"This is a Timeturner," she said "it allows me to travel back in time. I'm not just taking three electives Kiba, I'm taking all of them. McGonagall gave this to me so i could go to every class"

"So, right now you're walking to Transfiguration with Harry and Ron too?" Kiba asked

"no, i already was in Divination. I used the Timeturner to go to Arithmacy with you" Hermione explained quickly "and now I'm going to use it to get to muggle studies"

"So you are essentially in three classes at once?" Kiba asked receiving a nod "wicked"

"you can't tell anyone. Don't tell Ron or Harry that i was in Arithmacy.. got it?"

"Sure.. one question, why?" Kiba asked again

"I couldn't decide" Hermione replied. Kiba laughed to himself

"that's so you," he chuckled "so, I'll see you in Transfiguration?"

"for you, in a few minutes. For me, in about an hour" Hermione said as she turned a little button on the side of the necklace and disappeared. Kiba headed on to Transfiguration where he met Hermione again, he sat down beside her and waited for the class to begin.

"… few Wizards and Witches have achieved this however, since the procedure to becoming an Animagus isn't only highly dangerous and difficult, it also requires time and dedication." McGonagall spoke "i myself have gone through this and it took me nearly half a year, others only needed two months and others again needed several decades"

"What is required to become an Animagus?" Kiba asked, apparently the only one listening.

"I will not discuss details, however, a few things have to be done during the process which, if done wrong can lead to a disastrous outcome. It requires a spell that needs to be casted on oneself frequently, a potion with ingredients that are extremely difficult to obtain, a safe place to store the potion and a thunderstorm"

"And what does it feel like?" asked Kiba again

"well, i had to hold a Mandrake leaf in my mouth for an entire month, very unpleasant.. but the actual transformation was most likely the worst." she explained "The first transformation essentially kills the part of the wizard or witch that restricts them from transforming into an animal, this can go wrong and has led to recorded incidents where a wizard was permanently stuck in their animal form, unaware of who they are.. most likely questioning existence." McGonagall went on to explain about Animagus registration and the rules of becoming an Animal wizard as Kiba hastily noted everything down.

'Animagus..' Kiba thought

The lesson was soon interrupted by McGonagall being told of the prophecy that the Divination professor had made. McGonagall however shrugged it off, saying that Trelawney predicted a death every year, and that no one has ever died. Kiba wasn't reassured since the prophecy of death hadn't been for anyone. No, it had been for Harry. And knowing their record.. well, there was a good chance that Harry was indeed in trouble. The Black dog he had seen in Surrey, Sirius Black being after him.. it made sense that Harry might die. But Kiba forgot most of his bad thoughts as the delicious lunch of Hogwarts filled his stomach. He had set his Arithmacy book open beside him and Hermione to prepare for the homework they had gotten so Hermione could read it too without raising suspicion, with her having six classes more then anyone she needed all her free time to study and do homework whilst also keeping it secret. And copying of Kiba would probably be a no-go for her aswell.

Their next lesson after lunch was the much anticipated Defence against the Dark Arts lesson with professor Lupin. Though many Slytherin students were still mocking him for his shabby robes and thin frame and unfortunately they found out that the scars on Lupin's face were a touchy subject for the Professor and constantly reminded him of them. Lupin tried not to react to the comments but Kiba noticed ever so slight glances or movements indicating how subconsciously he felt about his appearance. Lupin explained calmly the subjects of the term and afterwards went over some things that they have learned the previous year. And then, for the last lesson of the first day they headed towards the dungeon. "Potions," Neville muttered beside them "i hope Snape won't be as bad as always…"

"why can't we have Potions with a different house then Slytherin for once?" Ron moaned "he hates Gryffindor enough as it is"

They entered and Snape began his lesson. Hermione entered just a few moments later receiving a glare from the professor. "five points from a Gryffindor" he said and continued. He explained how he expected the class to behave, and that failure and incompetence was unacceptable. Just as he began listing the Potions that were mandatory for the year Draco walked in with Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy in tow. "settle down," Snape said sternly "i won't accept tardiness again Mister Malfoy" he said and simply continued without deducting points.

"He's really got it in for us, hasn't he?" Ron whispered to Harry. The lesson began normally, Kiba and Hermione were the first to finish their Potions but Snape had set his eyes on Neville, carefully observing everything he did. Luckily he did nothing wrong, the potion was rather simple to make anyways but he had also threatened that he'd test the potion on Trevor, Neville's toad, to help him understand what he did wrong. But the lesson eventually ended, Snape was forced to take points from Slytherin since Crabbe had decided to spill Kiba's Cauldron over the table and floor, he blamed it on Kiba but for some reason Snape didn't believe the boy and instead punished Crabbe, going so far as to use a spell to clean Kiba's robes quickly.

Every Gryffindor was confused as this and then Snape ordered Kiba to stay, which to the Slytherin students sounded like he would get a bigger punishment. "as you are aware, i signed your permission form to visit Hogsmeade" Snape said to the young Wizard "and you no doubt know what that means"

"it means you are either one of my Parents in disguise or my Guardian" Kiba replied

"Guardian.." Snape replied coldly "now understand that i expect your behavior to represent me, should your behavior reflect badly onto me i will revoke your right to visit the village. Am i clear?" Kiba nodded absently. Snape as his legal guardian, he didn't like it at all, and he hasn't thought about it at all since he had received the signed form. "am i Clear?!"

"Yes, professor" Kiba replied quickly avoiding the dark eyes of the man towering above him. "Can i-"

"go" Kiba left quickly and cought up to the other the at the stairs where Ron was saying something about Hermione disappearing and reappearing.

"Kiba, where are you going?" Harry asked when Kiba missed a turn towards the common room

"Hagrid's," He replied forgetting that here hadn't told them yet "oh, sorry. I'm his assistant this year, and he needed to talk to me"

"oh alright," Harry replied

"see you later" Ron added as they continued up the steps. Hermione simply waved as she continued reading in one of her many books while walking. Kiba took the quickest path out of the castle and walked down the small gravel path towards Hagrid's hut, he knocked on the door and was greeted happily by the half-giant.

"I was already waitin' for yer," Hagrid said as they walked towards the reserve for Magical Creatures "i was thinkin' of makin' a good firs' impression"

"A good first impression?" Kiba repeated

"Tadaa" Hagrid showed Kiba to a small clearing where a few horselike creatures where chained. "Hippogriffs" Kiba was stunned in awe, the creatures hasd the bodies of horses but the heads and the wings were those of giant eagles. Not to mention the feathers that smoothly transitioned to hairs down the neck, and the giant talons the animal had instead of Hooves on it's front legs.

"Hagrid, they're beautiful" Kiba said.

"Yer can say tha' again" he replied "is like yer ter meet the Alpha of the herd" he lead Kiba into the clearing closer to them.

"What?" Kiba asked "meet the Alpha?"

"Yes, if she accepts yer, than the rest will too" he replied pointing to one with a strangely pinkish color. Hagrid pushed Kiba forward a little as he explained that Hippogriffs were very proud creatures and needed to be approached correctly. "Firs', yer bow. And wait for 'er ter bow back. Then yer can approach 'er" Kiba bowed to the creature lowering himself into one knee, he sailed hard as it examined him from a distance showing the reach of her wings before she but then back to her sides. She took a step forward with her right taking and lowered her head lifting her left leg up as if she were mimicking Kiba's bow. Kiba slowly rose and approached the Hippogriff, and before her knew it he was gently stroking her beak, her feathery neck down to the fur on her chest and shoulders.

"Recon she'll let yer ride 'er now" Hagrid said, he showed Kiba where he had to place his foot to properly mount the Creature "try not ter pull 'er feathers out. Rosetail won't be 'appy with yer then" He gave the Hippogriff a gentle smack and she ran. No longer chained to the clearing she stretched her wings and with a strong swing they flew skyward. It felt similar to riding Hotaru but still different, in a way.

Kiba disliked flying on brooms, but Hippogriffs or a Dragon. Now, that was the type of flying that Kiba loved!

\--


	27. Chapter 27: What do you fear the most?

**AN:** Really back into writing since the Quarantine kicked in. won't take all to long for chapter 28. remember i still take PM for Characters for a feature in the story. (Check Chapter 1 for more info)

 **Chapter 27: What do you fear the most?**

Kiba returned to the castle alongside Hagrid who he had just helped prepare for the lesson the next day. The Hippogriffs had followed their alpha's lead and all bowed to Kiba, allowing him to get close to them without harm. He sat down beside Hermione who quickly questioned him on what exactly he and Hagrid had prepared, but Kiba didn't tell her. The feast went by quickly and afterwards Kiba did some homework alongside Hermione who was scribbling about Muggles during the World War. Kiba ever so often glanced onto her parchment where she was constantly crossing out words and replacing them along with heavy sighs. They soon went to bed and woke up the next morning excited for Hagrid's first lesson.

"gather 'round, come close" he said towering above the many third-years. Hagrid was tall, but added to that he stood on one of the steps to the door of his hut. "less talkin' if yer don' mind. I got a real treat for yer today, a great lesson. Follow me!" he led the way along forbidden forest to the Magical Creature Reserve. "now, i need yer all to listen to me instructions clearly. Ki- Mr. Scamander is me assistant durin' these lessons and yer need to heed his advice as you need to heed mine" Hagrid explained. He stopped at a small clearing surrounded by a fence and told them all to wait. "I'll get the Creatures, and.. erm. Open yer books to page Fourty-Two"

"And how exactly do we do that?" asked Draco with hate filling his voice

"yer stroke the spine o' course" Hagrid replied. Thanks to Kiba, most of the Gryffindor's had already figured it out except Neville who undid the rope that bound his monster book and it chomped away at his robes.

"Oh, of course. How did we not get the idea to Stroke the spine of the book!" Malfoy said loudly

"I thought they were funny" says Hagrid a bit disheartened by the Slytherin

"oh yeah, terribly funny!" Malfoy continued sarcastically "really witty, giving us books that try to rip our heads off"

"if only yours had done so" Harry said quietly. Hagrid clapped his hands together and cleared his throat.

"will now yer all have the books open.. ahem, I'll get the Creatures.. right" Hagrid walked off, clearly beaten down by Malfoy. Kiba and Harry desperately wanted Hagrid's first lesson to be a success, and the way Malfoy was talking it seemed that would be difficult.

"God this place has gone to the dogs.." Malfoy spat "wait untill my Father hears that Dumbledore has got this Oaf teaching classes"

"Shut up, Malfoy" Harry said facing the blonde. A few Slytherin ohhhhh'd as Draco stepped closer to Harry. But he suddenly stopped, looked high behind Harry as he pointed at something in the distance.

"Dementor! Dementor!" he yelled out backing away. Harry whipped around himself.. but there was nothing. He turned back to Malfoy who was standing between Crabbe and Goyle all with the hoods of their robes over their heads, making childish ghost noises. Hermione stepped over and turned Harry away from them whilst giving them a look of absolute disgust. But before anyone could say anymore Hagrid returned with the Hippogriffs, they all had different colors, sizes and pastures. Each had a metal chain attached to a collar. He tired them all to a different pole and turned to address the class.

"ain't they beau'iful?" He asked "firs' thing yer want to know abou' Hippogriffs is that they're very proud creatures, easily offended. Yer do not wanna insult a Hippogriff" he explained loudly. But Malfoy wasn't listening he wanted on about Hagrid to his fellow Slytherins. "Now how'd like ter come say 'ello ter Buckbeak?" Hagrid asked stroking the Hippogriffs beak. Everyone quickly backed away from the fence except Harry and Kiba, Neville even went so far as to dive behind a large rock nearby.

"good lad 'arry!" Hagrid replied motioning for her to climb the fence. He replicate did and waited for Hagrid's instruction. "Firs', yer need to bow. Show that you respect 'im, then yer wait and see if he bows back" Hagrid explained loudly for everyone to hear, everyone who listened. Harry bowed his head low, and after a moment of breath holding from both Hagrid and Harry's friends, so did Buckbek. "well done 'arry, well done! Yer can go an' pet 'im now"

"what?" Harry asked unsure of his own safety. Was the grim perhaps an omen for death by Hippogriff?

"Go on, don't be shy" Hagrid urged Harry forward and Harry carefully stuck out and open hand. He kept his head low and eyes closed until he felt the soft feathers of Buckbeak neck. He travels along his neck towards his head and then ultimately to is beak. "oh, well done 'arry. And well done Buckbeak!" the Gryffindors applauded Harry when Hagrid suddenly pulled Hagrid to Buckbeaks side. "now yer can please yet for here near 'is won't and seeing onto it's back" before Harry could protest he was up on Buckbeaks back. Hagrid released the chain from the collar of Buckbeak as well as from one rose Hippogriff beside him. Kiba climbed the fence, lowered his head carefully. Rosetail recognized him and lowered her head aswell allowing Kiba to approach her and mount her aswell.

"as yer jus' saw with Kiba here, he already had aquatinted himself with this Hippogriff. In tha' case a respectful greetin' such as lowering ones head is enough"

"this is Rosetail," Kiba said loudly "she's this heards Alpha. If she bows to you, then all the others will too"

"alrigh' 'arry. Good flight!" Hagrid smacked Buckbeaks rear and before anyone realized what happens his massive wings had spread and that shot towards the sky, followed by Kiba and Rosetail. They soared above the reserve and across the castle grounds side by side, Kiba making sure that Harry had a proper grip and Rosetail making sure to keep the young Buckbeak in check.

Kiba heard Hagrid whistle loudly and he lead Harry and Buckbeak back to the ground. They landed to a massive applause, even from a few Slytherins. Hagrid helped Harry get down and Kiba descended from the Hippogriff on his own. "how am i doin' me firs' day?" asked Hagrid quietly

"Brilliant.." Harry replied "Professor" Hagrid smiled warmly at Harry not knowing what was happening just behind them.

"yeah, you're not dangerous at all" Draco had made his way through the crowd and he quickly approached Buckbeak "are you, you great ugly brute!"

"Malfoy!" Hagrid yelled but it was too late Buckbeak had already risen high on his hand legs, flashing his talons down at the boy. Buckbeak was young and unlike other Hippogriffs responded to insults with violence much quicker. The massive talon came rushing down, sure to cut Draco in half. The boy raised his arms in defence but was pulled back by his robes. He stumbled over and fell against Kiba who had pulled him away.

"Ah! It's killed me!" Draco yelled out "look what it's done" tears were flowing from his face as blood poured out of the massive scratch on his arm. His eyes were pressed shut in pain as he rocked from side to side on the ground.

"calm down.. it's, it's just a.. a scratch" Hagrid stammered, seeing his failure before him.

"Hagrid!" Kiba said loudly snapping the half-giant back to reality "he has to be taken to the Hospital"

"Righ', I'm the teacher, I'll do it" he replied as he picked up Malfoy like a feather and carried him away "class dismissed!" he called back as his massive and fast steps shook the ground beneath them.

"You'll regret this.." Malfoy said through his tears "you and your bloody chicken"

"this couldn't have gone any worse, could it?" Hermione said almost apologetically towards Kiba and Harry who stared after Hagrid in a short of trance.

"leave it to Malfoy to ruin Hagrid's first lesson" Ron added.

The four stayed behind as the rest of the class left for their common rooms and took the Hippogriffs back to their clearing in the reserve. And also returned to their common rooms. Kiba was sitting on the windowsill while the other the sat on the couch and looked at Hagrid's hut, the lights were on and he wanted to go down to see him. He decided against it until Harry too mentioned that he wanted to go see the half-giant. Against the protest of Hermione the four still went down and we're welcomed into the hut.

The small room reeked of alcohol, the smell of which was confirmed by the giant mug. Hagrid was crying loudly into a thick handkerchief that looked more like a towel then a small piece of cloth. "school Gov'ners been told o' course" Hagrid said "and Malfoy is bound ter get the news"

"they can't sack you, Hagrid!" Harry said boldly "we're witnesses. Draco didn't listen and insulted Buckbeak"

"yeah, you said that they'd respond by attacking" Ron added. Hagrid let out a loud cry and pulled the two boys into a bone crushing hug. The four comforted the giant and helped him clear his head which led to a scolding. Harry was out of the castle, and Black was still at large. He took the four all the way to the castle and back to their common room shooting about how Harry's life was worth more then his and that they shouldn't go wandering about and out for him.

Luckily for many Malfoy hadn't returned to classes the next day, however he reappeared for the Defence against the Dark Arts lesson on Thursday.

The students entered and were surprised to see the room empty. All the chairs and desks were stacked at the back of the classroom and Lupin stood by an old wardrobe which looked as shabby as he did. "welcome," he said loudly "today's lesson shall be practical. All that you need is your wands" everyone dropped their bags and stuff scattered across the room before Lupin. He walked past the wardrobe and partitioned himself beside the students. "would anyone venture a guess as to what might be inside that wardrobe?" he asked.

The wardrobe shook strongly causing the girls in front to take a step back. "that's a Boggart" Kiba said quickly

"very good Ki- ahem Mister Scamander" Lupin said as he slowly walked back towards the front of the class "now, Boggarts like dark and enclosed spaces like a closet, the gap between a bed and the floor underneath or perhaps a Grandfather clock. But what we must ask is; what is a Boggart?"

"it's a shape-shifter," Hermione said with a raised hand "it has no known form, it will appear as what we fear the most. It makes them exceptionally-"

"Terrifying." Lupin said finishing Hermione's answer "luckily we have an advantage should this one escape. An idea Mister Potter?"

"ermm… because there's so many of us?"

"Quite right, it will not know what form to take and will confuse itself. Should that happen it won't know what form to take. A flesh eating slug, a zombie, or maybe a snake" Lupin explained "there's a spell that is quite simple which helps confuse the Boggart, you see, what really finishes a Boggart is laughter. You must force it to assume a shape that you find truly amusing. Let's practice it now, without wands please. Repeat after me… Riddikulus"

"Riddikulus" the class repeated.

"very good, yes, splendid! But I'm afraid the incantation alone is not enough. Mister Longbottom would you join me please?" Neville walked forwards timidly "hello" Lupin said once Neville stood before him. "what would you say frightens you most?" Neville muttered an inaudible response

"Professor Snape" he said quite loudly the second time. The class laughed and even Lupin chuckled lightly.

"Professor Snape… frightens all" he looked part the class absently like he was remembering something. "Neville, i believe you live with your grandmother?"

"yes, but i don't want that Boggart to turn into her either" Neville replied quickly

"It won't, here's what i want you to do Neville; picture your grandmother's clothes inside your mind very clearly"

"she carries a red-"

"We don't need to hear, just picture the clothes. And now imagine Snape wearing them" Lupin said, Neville shuddered lightly. "Wand at the ready Neville, remember picture it clearly. I'm going to release the Boggart now" Sparks shot from Lupin's wand and unlocked the wardrobe and from it emerged Snape. "your wand Neville!"

" _Riddikulus_!" Neville shouted and suddenly snake changed. His black robes disappeared replaced by a green dress, his hair vanished beneath a great hat with a vulture ontop, all accompanied by high heels and a red handbag. The class burst out laughing as did the teacher.

The Boggart stood before the wardrobe and send panicked. "very good Neville! Hilarious. Form a line everyone, Neville to the back. Picture the thing you fear the most, and turn it into something Funny!" Ron was the first in line to take on the Boggart. It swirled and made a strange nose before appearing as a giant spider. It's pincers snapped at Ron who still didn't hold his wand "Wand at the ready, Ron!"

" _Riddikulus_ " he cried as he finally raised his wand. To the amusement of most of the class the spider now wore Rollerblades on each of it's feet and flopped to the ground. It tried to stand up again by failed every time as it's legs gave way, the harder the class laughed the less it tried until Parvati stepped forward, it began reshaping and suddenly a lot Hiss was heard, a large King Cobra stretched itself towards the girl revealing it's Fangs.

" _Riddikulus_ " Parvati said before it could longer at her turning it into a bouncing Jack in the box. Padma was next and her Boggart was a mummy who's baggages entangled itself causing it to drop flat on it's face. Seamus stepped forward but the Boggart transformed into a small Rat.

"It's getting confused, keep going!" Lupin instructed quickly as the Boggart turned into a frail woman with long black hair falling to the floor. She was a banshee, she let out a menacing and high pitched wait before being silenced, Seamus had made her lose her voice. The Boggart twitched uncomfortable and swapped through multiple forms before turning into a severed hand that crawled towards Dean, he quickly pulled out his wand and the hand was stuck in a mouse trap.

Kiba stepped forward next, still questioning what it was that he feared the most. But the Boggart twisted turned and then..

Everyone in the class watched as a bouquet of flowers fell to the ground at the feet of a hooded man. None understood what it meant, none but Kiba. He pointed his wand forward and whispered " _Riddikulus_ " and before anyone could see a face beneath the hood it was replaced by a clown. A painted white face along with a colorful suit. Kiba took a step forward and squeezed the red ball the clown wore as a nose and it squeaked to the amusement of especially Lupin who began laughing along with the class but Kiba only smiled, in his mind last the confirmation that he feared nothing more then, This.

Kiba watched as a few more students tackle the Boggart before Harry stepped forward. It took some time but the Boggart began shaping and suddenly a cold overcame him, and he knew what it was going to become before it did, and so did Harry according to the blatant terror on his face. A Dementor appeared hovering above the ground, Harry freezed and was unable to move his wand, his legs, his eyes.

"Here!" Lupin shouted as he jumped between Harry and the Boggart Dementor causing it to change. A white orb hung where the Dementor was previously " _Riddikulus_ " the man spoke lazily and a hole popped into the other and it shot across the room like a balloon losing air quickly. It zoomed across the classroom before landing in the closet which Lupin locked behind it. "Ah, well. Sorry about that. That's enough for today" Lupin spoke hastily Harry's eyes were still fixed on where the Dementor had been. "Five points for everyone who tackled the Boggart. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarise it for me.." everyone slowly headed for the back of the class where all the bags where "to be handed in on Monday. That'll be all for today, Sorry! Can only have so much of the good thing, sorry." Lupin went on now looking at Harry. Kiba walked over to his friend and shook him lightly, he snapped out of his trance and looked at Lupin, he looked like he wanted to speak but didn't he simply walked to the back of the class and left with Ron. Kiba said a quick goodbye to Lupin and followed with Hermione.

Most students talked excitedly about Lupin that day, very few even remembering how shabby appearance. "I would've liked a go at that Boggart" Hermione said

"what would it be for you? homework that only got a nine out of ten?" Ron said jokingly

"i'd like to know what Malfoy fears.." Kiba added to the surprise of the others "what? Don't you wish you could scare him sometimes?"

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 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a Review!**


	28. Chapter 28: Hogsmeade Village

**Chapter 28: Hogsmeade Village**

Besides the fun lessons with Lupin and the unenjoyable Potions and divination lessons the quidditch season was beginning again, which meant Ron, Hermione and Kiba could watch Harry practice… well Hermione mostly studied at the same time given her situation. But nonetheless they were there to support the scar bearing wizard, furthermore Kiba had gotten allot closer with Hagrid due to the fact that Kiba now worked alongside him with the magical creatures. When he, one evening, returned to the common room he saw Hermione and Room practically beaming with joy. "you two look happy," he said as he sat down on the ground leaning against the couch since Ron was taking up most of the space with his bags and homework.

"Haven't you read the news?" Ron asked "first Hogsmeade visit!" he said excitedly

"When?" asked Kiba.

"On Halloween," Hermione replied "i can't wait to visit all the shops… Hey Harry" Harry had just returned from quidditch practice and has apparently heard of the Hogsmeade trip. Harry still hasn't had his form signed and seemed disheartened already. Harry sat down next to Ron and retrieved his starchart.

"I'm sure you can go next time Harry, it won't be long until they catch Black" Hermione said comfortingly.

"maybe, just maybe, you can get McGonagall to sign your form Harry!"

"she won't," Hermione replied "have you read the form at all? Only a parent or a guardian can sign it" Hermione put her star chart away and pulled out another piece of homework. Just then Crookshanks came back over to her holding a large spider in his mouth much to Ron's disgust. Hermione however was proud and spat at Ron that he was just head of Crookshanks

"jealous? Of that beast?!" Ron retorted "I'd rather have ten times a Scabbers then having your cat once" sensing the anger in Hermione Crookshanks distanced himself and laid down next to Kiba who patted him gently.

"Where is Scabbers anyway?" Kiba asked

"What do you care? You seem to like Crookshanks more" Ron shoy angrily at Kiba

"what can i say, he's an interesting Rat, given the fact that i can't understand what he says" Kiba replied "and that we don't know what sort of powers he has" Ron looked at him for a few seconds.

"I tell you, that bloody furball has it in for Scabbers. He's always shaking scared, he barely eats. Even now he's quivering in my bag." Ron explained, and indeed one could see the pocket of his bag shake a little. Hermione didn't reply further, she scooted closer to Kiba to also pet the orange Feline. All of a sudden however, Crookshanks jumped to his paws and with a giant leap landed in Ron's bag. He scratched and hissed at the pocket that Scabbers hid in. "Scabbers!" Ron yelled as he pulled the cat away. The Rat had climbed out of the bag and was not running across the common room floor closely followed by Crookshanks and then Ron.

Scabbers ran fast, and dove underneath the bookshelf where Crookshanks couldn't reach him. Hermione rushed after them and picked up her Cat as Ron dropped to the floor and pulled Scabbers out by the tail. He dangled him in the air, shouting at Hermione. "it's your fault that Scabbers looks the way he does" he stormed up the spiral staircase and into the boys dormatory. Ron acted cold towards Hermione for the following weeks leading up to the Hogsmeade weekend, Kiba awoke that morning to see a sad looking Harry on the edge of his bed. McGonagall hadn't signed Harrys permission form as he had hoped, Ron had tried to cheer him up with the idea of the feast but Harry didn't budge.

His mood stayed the same throughout breakfast and afterwards he saw the other three of, he stopped before they reached Filch who was checking off names from a large list. "Staying Potter?" Draco asked loudly as he passed Harry "scared of running into a Dementor?" he laughed alongside his goons Crabbe and Goyle as he passed Filch.

"See you later, Harry" Kiba said as he gently smacked Harry's back

"we'll bring you lots of sweets, promise" Ron added. He walked alongside Dean and Shamus closely followed by Kiba and Hermione. Hogsmeade was absolutely buzzing once they arrived. Clearly the third years were going to run into allot of other Hogwarts students. They passed Hogsmeade station and saw the path branch of to the left and right. To the left was a sign that read 'enter at own risk' this path of course lead to the famous shrieking shack.

"it's supposed to be the most haunted house in all of Brittan" Hermione said, they looked down the path to their right and saw a few shops, most of the students had already pushed onward towards Zonko's and Honeyduke's but and Hermione entered a bookshop named Tomes and Scrolls. Hermione looked for books to get her a headstart in most of her subjects while Kiba looked for books on difficult Magic. It didn't take long for them to buy what they wanted before they headed on towards Zonko's Jokeshop where the two simply browsed before heading into Honeyduke's where they met Ron. They caught loads of different candy for Harry and also for themselves. Kiba had bought an extra large box of Every flavor beans, some jelly Slugs, sugar quills, Cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties, fudge flies, nougat chunks, Honeyduke's chocolate, pink coconut ice, cockroach clusters and the much recommended fizzing whizzbees.

Kiba had brought a bag to carry his purchases and therefore too Harry's bag of candy into his hand to allow Ron and Hermione to carry their own. Ron also had a large bag from Zonko's already. They strolled on through a few more shops such as Scrivenshaft's quill shop and Dominic Meastro's music shop before heading into the three broomsticks. Half the day had passed quickly and most their years had made their way to the Inn to have a bite to eat, Ron was telling Kiba and Hermione about Butterbeer and urged them to order it as well. Hermione and Ron had seemingly forgotten all about their fight with their pets, as the three happily ate chicken fingers and corn cobbs as they shared stories of their days before Hogwarts.

Ron was fascinated by the subjects of muggle schools that Hermione and Kiba told him about. "you have to tell this to my dad, he'd love to hear all this. He's fascinated by muggles, y'know." Kiba and Hermione were both surprised by the Butterbeer as well as it made them feel very warm inside after they had spent the day in the cold winds. The rest of their they was spent wizarding the rest of the shops such as Gladrags Wizardware, Spintwitches Sporting Goods and Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

Kiba checked his watch and reminded the other two that they had to go back to the castle to bed in time for the Feast in the Great Hall. Ron and Kiba were joking about as they walked when Ron suddenly jokingly punched Kiba's arm. He swayed to the side and tried over something, something that emitted an devil growl. Kiba quickly turned in his knees and saw the rather large black dog before him. "I'm sorry, are you hurt?" Kiba asked stretching out his hand towards the dog. The dog didn't respond and carefully sniffed Kiba's hand as it examined the boy with it's eyes. Kiba patted its head gently before standing again, "Sorry again, I'll be more careful" the dog barked once in response, but Kiba only heard a bark… no voice, no sentence, no words. It was just like with Ron's Rat, Scabbers.. he couldn't understand it. He shrugged it off and the three continued on their way to the castle, Ron showing off all the products he had bought at Zonko's.

"Would you guys take my stuff with you?" Kiba asked suddenly "i have to do a quick round through the magical creatures reserve" Hermione nodded quickly and too Kiba's Bag while Ron too the bag of sweets for Harry and they parted ways. Kiba entered the reserve and saw Hagrid feeding a few creatures "Hello Hagrid, anything i can help with?"

"Kiba, had a good time in Hogsmeade?" Hagrid asked. Kiba nodded and smiled brightly "well, yer can take tha' portion ter the Thestrals" kiba grabbed the bucket of raw meat and turned "oh, an' keep an eye on this Wompuscat," the Half-Giant added "think she might be Carryin''

"Will do," Kiba replied. He went on his way and into the part of the forested are where the Thestrals were held. The Thestrals weren't at Hogwarts for lessons, no, they pulled the carriges at the beginning and end of each year. Kiba had first met them in his second year since these creatures where only visible to the eye that had witnessed death. And Kiba has seen Death, at his own hands that is. He strolled along the path ever so often checking the habitats of other creatures, making sure they were all still there, when he suddenly spotted something. Two eyes were glaring at him through the dark of the forest, and he remembered his dream. He carefully approached the eyes until the white fur of a Wolf came into his view.

"Hey," he said carefully but the Wolf flinched and turned to run "Wait! I won't hurt you!" Kiba called running after it but it was fast, much faster then him and disappeared just seconds before they reached the Thestrals. But there he supported something else that was white, well not completely. Long flowing locks of blonde Hair. A girl was standing near one of the Thestrals trying to feed it an apple, but the Thestrals didn't except it and trotted away. "you ought to try meat" Kiba said as he approached her she turned to the boy and smiled, he held out the bucket and the girl took a piece of meat and tossed it to the Thestral which caught the piece and devoured it quickly.

"Luna, Right? Luna Lovegood" Kiba asked carefully. He knew it was her, along everyone her hair and choice of clothing made her stand out. She nodded and smiled

Kiba tossed a few pieces of meat into the herd of Thestrals "what are you doing here anyways?" Kiba looked at the girl realising that she wasn't wearing any shoes or socks.

"i wanted to see the Thestrals" she said "they're fascinating creatures. So different"

"and your shoes, where'd you leave those" he asked

"All my shoes seem to have mysteriously gone missing" she replied "i suspect Nargels are behind it" she added in a whisper

"would you like some help finding them?" Kiba asked "I'd be happy to help"

"Oh, it's quite alright" she replied, seeking completely free of any care for her missing belongings "I'm sure they'll turn up eventually" Kiba was momentarily stunned by the attitude the Ravenclaw girl displayed. She had a certain kindness to her. Kiba figured that other students had hidden her shoes, and Luna hardly seemed to care at all, nothing seemed to bother her and it was admirable.

"the feast will begin soon," Kiba began again "you should head back to the castle"

"I hope there's pudding" Luna replied as she began walking off, she glanced back at Kiba once, worry written across her face. Hopefully he didn't realize it.

Kiba joined his three friends on the way to the great Hall, Ron was still telling Harry about Hogsmeade and where he had been to. Harry didn't seem down at all, he seemed truly happy for Ron, and the concept of Hogsmeade. Kiba knew that Harry desperately wanted to go, but he was still happy for his friends. The conversed throughout the fantastic feast, and watched as the house ghost entertained everyone with nearly headless Nick reenacting his own botched beheading. But no one realized the thrill they were all about to relieve at that Halloween night, the Gryffindor's had gathered in front if the portrait of the day Lady, unable to enter their common room. Kiba was standing behind Hermione who, like many others, couldn't see what was happening.

"Out of the way! What is going on? Please let me through" a prideful voice called out behind them "excuse me, I'm head boy!" it was Percy, Ron's older brother who always liked to display his superiority. He paved his way up the stairs through the students, but when he finally got a view of the portrait he stopped for a second. Thanks to the path that Percy had made Kiba and Hermione now to could see the portrait, or what was left of it. The landscape which was usually behind the fat last was slashed and pieces of the parchment littered the floor before it, but the fat lady was gone. "someone get the headmaster! Quickly!" Percy called out and before even anyone could react Dumbledore appeared alongside McGonagall, gracefully gliding pay the students to the front.

He saw the painting and turned to McGonagall as Lupin and Snape joined them too. "We need to find her" Dumbledore said, his eyes were sombre "Severus, find Mister Filch and round up the ghosts. Have then search every painting in the castle" a joyful cackle interrupted Dumbledore however, Peeves the poltergeist was bobbing above the students overjoyed at the deviation. "What is it Peeves?" Dumbledore asked "have you seen the fat lady?" Peeves' grin faded quickly, it seemed like he didn't dare taunt Dumbledore.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen, she's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the trees on the fourth floor. Crying something dreadful." he said happily simulating her running movement "oh Professorhead, the poor thing" he added

"Did she say who did it?" Lupin asked quickly

"Oh, yes, she did…" Peeves replied

"who, Peeves?" Dumbledore specified

"he got very angry you see, Dumblehead, she didn't let him in" Peeves said "Nasty Temper he's got, and eyes like a devil. Hihihi" Peeves laughed

"do you know his name, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked once more

"Most certainly, Your Headness, Dumbledore" Peeves replied "'twas the one everyone talks about, Sirius Black!" Peeves laughed devilishly as he dashed through the walls and out of sight

"everyone will proceed to the great Hall, immediately" Dumbledore ordered "Percy, please find Miss Clearwater and send all Ravenclaws to the great Hall. Severus, the Slytherins as well. Minerva, find Pomona and have her bring the Hufflepuffs. We must search the castle immediately" the Prefects led their houses to the great Hall where Dumbledore soon joined them. He instructed everyone to spend the night in the hall, the Prefects would guard the entrances while the head boy and girl were left in charge. Dumbledore had made the tables stack up against the wall and had made purple sleepingbags appear throughout the hall. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Kiba all grabbed a bag and went to sleep near a corner, Ron said down next to Harry as Hermione and Kiba laid down in front of them so they were laying head to head.

The hall was buzzing with talk and theories, each as unthinkable as the next. Apparition, disguises, help from inside or even just walking in. None seemed plausible. "Quiet everyone, lights out time to go to sleep!" Percy's voice excited through the hall and surprisingly the hall went quiet rather quickly.

But Harry couldn't sleep, he knew why Sirius wanted to enter the Gryffindor common room, and Kiba did too. Neither of the two could close their eyes fearing that Black would burst in at any moment. Kiba laid silently, starting at the starry ceiling whilst Ron snored next to Harry. Kiba glanced at Harry and saw that he had good eyes closed but want sleeping, Harry tossed and turned, Hermione however breathed slowly and calmly seemingly deep in slumber as she faced the red haired boy beside her, the boy that had almost killed her.

Kiba faced back towards the ceiling, his mind enjoy of thought when Dumbledore returned alongside Flitwick. Snape soon entered as well "I've searched the Dungeons, Headmaster, but no sign of Black, nor anywhere in the castle"

"I didn't expect him to linger" Dumbledore replied as he strolled past the students. Kiba closed his eyes, pretending to sleep as the two men walked closer.

"remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle one ones own, completely undetected" Snape said, "any theories as to how Black might have managed it?"

"many," Dumbledore replied "each as unlikely as the next"

"you may recall, prior to the start of term i had expressed my concerns about your appointment of Profess-" Snape said but Dumbledore cut him off

"not a single Professor inside this castle would help Sirius Black to enter it," The headmaster said calmly "I'm quite convinced the castle is safe, and I'm more then willing to send the students back to their houses in the morning"

"What about Potter, should he be warned?" McGonagall asked worryingly as she joined the two

"perhaps, but for now let him sleep" Dumbledore said. He was not standing by Harry looking down upon him "for in dreams, we enter a World that is entirely or own. Let him swim in the depressed ocean, or glide above the highest cloud" Dumbledore paused before he started making his way back to the doors of the hall "i must go down to the Dementors," he said "i said i would inform them once our search was finished" Kiba heard the doors of the hall open and close. He opened his eyes and looked at Harry who returned the gaze before Kiba looked back at Hermione who had her eyes open just like them, she stared at the ceiling, her eyes reflecting the stars above the three had heard it. Snape obviously did not trust one of the Hogwarts Professors, but who, and why? But maybe more importantly, Black was closer then anyone had expected and had one more evaded the Dementors.

For the most part, life in Hogwarts went on as normal, apart from all the talk and theorizing about Black going around. Harry spent most days in the quidditch Pitch with his team, while madam Hooch made sure there wasn't a attack on Harry during that time. Ron was mostly complaining about school work and Hermione's cat. Hermione spent nearly every waking breath working tirelessly on all her subjects while Kiba read through the books he had bought in Hogsmeade and took care of all the magical creatures. Kiba still remembered the white Wolf her had seen on Halloween, the days prior, as he once again made his way towards the Thestrals.

To his surprise, he saw Luna near them. But it was different from the last time she was sitting near a tree obviously deep in thought, Kiba decided to stay back and leave her alone. Luna was considered strange by many, and it was no secret that she was bullied by many others, but Luna had a way of seeing the good in others, even if they themselves didn't. Luna slowly stood up, patted one of the young Thestrals before something happened...

Kiba couldn't believe what he saw, Luna hunched forward and lowered her hands to the ground but before they touched it they had turned to paws. Where previously her long blonde hair had been was now white fur. Luna had completely transformed into an animal, Luna had become a White Wolf.

"She's an Animagus!" Kiba gasped.

\--

 **An:** yeah, Christmas chapter is drawing near. and by then book 3 will be halfway done. I'm planning big for Goblet and I'd love to introduce some side characters then. so PM me your own OC and I'll feature them as a small side character in the story.

 **Review and let me know what you think! 3**


	29. Chapter 29: The Harsh Truth

**Chapter 29: The Harsh Truth**

Kiba still couldn't believe that Luna was an animal wizard. Kiba flicked through many many pages of his book too see if he could find out more about Animagi, or maybe how to become one as well. If Luna could do it, so could he.. right? To Kiba's surprise it was indeed inside one of his books from Borgin and Burke's, with a detailed description on how to do it. He read the page quickly and memorized the steps. 'i should ask McGonagall for more information' he thought to himself.

After his transfiguration lesson that day the boy approached the professor. "yes, Mister Scamander?"

"I was wondering, Professor, if you could tell me more of Animagi" Kiba asked carefully. McGonagal looked at the boy sharply before softening her expression. "ever since we started with them I've been thinking about it allot, to the point where i can't think of anything else" he added

"What is it that you want to know?" she asked

"Well, does it take skill to become one? Is it Magically challenging?" Kiba said

"not really, it does take a certain magical talent." McGonagal replied "it takes time, dedication and determination most of all. Other then finding the right supplies it is not particularly challenging" she said

"and the forms, could one for instance find out what they'd turn into?"

"Well, your Animagi form is strongly bound to your personality" the professor explained "but it is difficult to determine before the initial transformation"

"Is there a limit to animals that an Animagi can become?"

"Usually just one, there hasn't been a historical recording of an Animagi being able to transform into different forms"

"And Magical Creature transformations?"

"There was one wizard, who's Animagus form was a Dragon, other then that however there have been none"

"Thank you professor," Kiba said "now i can focus on other things. Those question were stuck in my head for a while"

"glad i could help, Mister Scamander" she looked as the boy began walking out of the classroom, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

'today is a full moon, i should get started tonight' Kiba thought as he entered the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom. Everyone took their seats when Snape suddenly burst through the door. With a flick of his wand he covered the windows with dark curtains, before counjering a white board at the front of the class. He stopped and turned towards the class,

"Turn to page Three-hundred-and-ninety-four" he began walking past the rows towards a projector, he walked past Ron who was slowly flipping through his pages and with a flick of his wand slammed good book to the right page.

"Excuse me, sir" Harry began politely "where is professor Lupin?"

"That's not really your concern, now is it Potter?" Snape replied "sufficient to say that your teacher finds himself Incapable of teaching at the present time" he tapped the projector with his wand and it beamed onto the whiteboard "your prior teaching of this subject has been disturbingly lacking, so today we will be discussing Werewolves"

"But professor, we've just started learning about Redcaps and Hinkeypunks" Hermione said "were not supposed to start nocturnal beasts for weeks"

"quiet!" Snape sneered as he returned to the front of the class "now, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a Werewolf?" Hermione raised her hand but Snape didn't acknowledge it "no one?"

"Please sir, an Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal, a Werewolf has no choice. With each full moon he transforms and no longer remembered who is, furthermore he only responds to the call of his own kind" Hermione answered the question, whilest Draco let out a mocking howl.

"Thank you for that assessment, Mister Malfoy" Snape said calmly as he stepped closer to Hermione "that is the second time you've spoken out of turn Miss Granger, are you Incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know it all?"

"You asked a Question!" Kiba said "she knew the answer, why ask if you don't want to hear it" Snape glared at Kiba his eyes narrowing almost angrily

"Ten points from Gryffindor" Snape added "As an antidote to your ignorance, and on my desk by Monday morning, two rolls of parchment on the Werewolf with particular emphasis on recognizing it!" he announced to the class loudly. Most of the class groaned I'm response but noted down their homework. Snape strolled towards the back of the class, instructing everyone to watch the projections as he began monologuing about Werewolves.

After his duties with the magical creatures Kiba quietly crept into the greenhouses. "the first step, keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth from one full moon to the next.." Kiba whispered to himself "this'll be difficult. But i can do this" he found a mandrake with a nice crown of leafs and swiftly cut one off before hightailing it out off the greenhouse and towards the common room. He sat on his bed quietly as he watched the leaf in his hand, he was really going to do this, and once he started he had to keep going. Otherwise what would be the point, right? He wanted to proof that he can use his talent in magic for other things then murder.. that's all he's ever really accomplished. He placed the leaf on his tongue and closed his mouth, to his surprise the leaf didn't taste of dirt, it actually tasted good, kind of like a lemon drop.

Kiba opened the book again, 'i should probably get the ingredients ready for that potion, and i have to think of a place to store and safely transform once it's ready' he thought to himself. 'let's see.. Chrysalis of a Deaths-head Hawkmoth, these can most commonly be found in Africa or Europe however buried underneath the ground. Alright, my own hair and dew that's been untouched by human feet and sunlight for Seven days.. I'll collect the dew and store it tomorrow, and I'll try to find one of those Chrysalis' during the time i take care of the magical creatures.. maybe I'll find one. I should also find a vial, maybe from Snape's stores' Kiba put his book away again and went to sleep, trying his hardest to not swallow or chew the leaf.

For the most part, Kiba got used to the leaf in his mouth. He told his friends that he had been hurt by one of the magic creatures and that Madam Pomfrey had given him the leaf. Eating remained a difficult task, given that Kiba had to try really hard to not chew the leaf and swallow it along with his food. Luckily, Hermione had barely any time to ask questions about the leaf since she was simply being overwhelmed by her school work, and Harry was to busy preparing for his first quidditch match and Ron, well Ron didn't care, really..

November Eighth had come around and most Gryffindor's were able to congratulate Kiba on turning Fourteen. Ron had given Kiba a pack of small firecrackers that would explode several times when thrown on the ground for instance, along with it he told him that his brothers Fred and George had dropped a whole pack down their stairs once and they heard them exploding and bouncing around for several hours. Harry didn't really have anything to give Kiba and Hermione gave him a Necklace. It was shorter then the one that Faye had given him two years earlier, and from it hung a silver Arrow the tip of which pointed downward. He put it on immediately and thanked Hermione for it with a big hug. The four spent some time together between classes before Harry had to leave, he had a warm-up for his match that day and the weather was awful, as it had been the whole week.

Not everyone came to watch the opening match. A few Ravenclaws could be seen, mostly players that wanted to study their opponents, Hufflepuffs that supported their team, many Slytherins most likely there to laugh at the misfortune of the other teams since they had used Draco injury to get out of playing in the rain, and then there were three Gryffindor's.. almost everyone was there to support their house team, Seamus even had his face painted Scarlett and gold to show his house pride.

The match itself was difficult to watch. Through the roar of the thunder and the wind, the announcer Lee Jordan couldn't even be heard. The players were nothing but blurry colors of red and yellow. "must be a Horror for Harry" Kiba said to hermine beside him "he probably see more without his glasses at this point" the match had gone on for a while already and the storm had only gotten worse. Gryffindor was up fifty points when Wood called for a timeout. Hermione suddenly jumped into her feet and ran down towards the large umbrella that covered the Gryffindor team, she stayed there until the match resumed at which point she had returned to Kiba's side. "what did you do down there?" Kiba asked the girl who's busy hair was now as flat as ever

"Just this thing called the Impervious Charm" she replied "Harry won't have any trouble with his glasses now"

"Brilliant… truly" Kiba muttered. Hermione was no longer facing him, she had returned her gaze towards the match with a great big smile. Kiba found himself stareing at her again, like that night in the great Hall. He pulled his eyes away quickly and also watched the match. Harry was much more in it now and soon dashed after Cedric Diggory, the Captain and Seeker of Hufflepuff who was chasing the snitch. He flew higher and higher when he suddenly stopped and looked into the empty stands illuminated by the lightning in the sky. For a moment, Kiba thought he saw the black silhouette of a dog, but when he tried to get a better look at it through some binoculars it was gone, and Harry was chasing Diggory again.

The two Seeker rise high above the pitch when suddenly everything seemed to stop, the roar of thunder, and then lighting struck. Diggory's broom was suddenly set ablaze, he dove for the ground and leaped of it rolling through the mud. But Harry chased on, but the sounds seemed to miss.. Kiba felt strange, he couldn't even hear Hermione and Ron cheering beside him, he didn't hear the rain and it seemed as had the storm forgotten to roar. Kiba felt cold, really cold and sad. He scanned the pitch and there he saw it, they where everywhere. Dementors! They swarmed the pitch and flew after Harry, at least a hundred.. or more.

Kiba could only stare blankly as he watched Harry slip off his broom and fall. Hermione grabbed Kiba's arm and buried her face in his shoulder as Ron shouted something beside him. The players all stopped and flew to the ground. Cedric, who had gotten a different broom to continue, had the snitch in his hand and therefore they were declared the winners of the match. Kiba heard him talk to madam Hooch about a rematch as he followed Harry who was being carried away by Hagrid.

The Gryffindor team all followed then to the hospital and Ron soon joined aswell, he had returned with Harry's broom, the Nimbus Two-Thousand. "he does look a bit peaky" Ron said in response to one of the Gryffindor chasers

"he fell over a hundred feet, what did you expect?" asked fred

"Yeah," George agreed "let's walk you off the astronomy tower, Ron. See what you look like"

"probably a right side better then he normally does" Harry said

"how are you feeling?" Hermione agreed carefully

"Oh, brilliant" Harry replied sarcastically "so what happened, who won?"

"Cedric got the snitch just after you fell. He didn't know it had happened, he pleaded for a rematch," Wood said "but like madam Hooch said, they won fair and square"

"No one blames you Harry" Kiba said after seeing his friends face of defeat. The Gryffindor team soon left to take a shower and Harry spotted his broom at the for if his bed.

"blew into the whomping willow" Ron said "i got what i could" Harry looked even worse now

"The Dementors?" he asked

"Dumbledore was furious," Hermione said "I've never seen him like that before. They aren't meant to come into the ground, after he saved you he shot some silvery stuff at them.. send them straight off. Then he helped getting you here. Hagrid carried you at first but then Dumbledore magicked up a stretcher and brought you" Harry dropped down to his pillow again. He had lost a Quidditch match, he had nearly fallen to his death and his broom was broken beyond repair.

'maybe Trelawney was right, maybe i do have the Grim' The black haired wizard thought to himself.

The month went by quickly as December began, Kiba had spent his time reading up on animal wizards, in other words Animagi. He had secretly duplicated a vial from Snape's stores, had collected and stored the dew and was lucky to find a Chrysalis the day of the full moon. He knew that he needed the full light of the full moon, there could be no clouds in his way out he would have to start anew. He was sitting in the common room with Hotaru on his lap as he still thought of a dark and quiet place to store the potion. 'what about the shrieking shack?' Hotaru asked her voice sounding sleepy.

"I wouldn't," Kiba replied "someone might go in and find it" Kiba sighed. There had to be a place only he could acce… "the chamber…" Kiba muttered

'the chamber?' Hotaru echoed

"The chamber of Secrets" Kiba said again, "Dumbledore only sealed the gateway"

'so how are you going to get in?'

"Good question.. Could you Apparate with me?"

'I'm not sure, should be possible… but I've never been in the chamber itself'

"so if i imagine it? It could work, we should give it a shot"

'right now?'

"It'll likely take it's toll for you to take me along, tonight, when the potion of ready" The evening soon came and Kiba quietly slipped away after the feast, avoiding the peering eyes of Percy and the other Prefects. And waited until his watched showed that it was midnight. He opened the vial in which he had stored the dew and took the leaf from his mouth, luckily the leaf hadn't gone soggy and fallen apart during the entire month and he placed it into the vial aswell. He took the Chrysalis and added it aswell before he ripped out a hair or two from his own head and placed them inside as well. He put the top into the vial and held it up towards the moon. Kiba was lucky, there she was clear showing every star and the moon in all its might.

He could feel the vial vibrate in his grasp as the ingredients combined into a blueish mixture. He looked in in awe, it seemed he had gotten this far. Now he had to wait for a thunderstorm and lightning.. "Hotaru, you ready?" the dragon nodded and landed on Kiba's shoulder. The boy closed his eyes and thought back to last year, he dreaded the memory but it was the perfect place. He imagined the chamber. The giant head of Salazar Slytherin, the serpent statues that stood on both sides of the walkway, the body of the basilisk which undoubtedly remained. He opened it his eyes and there it was, like he remembered it. The basilisk had lost most of it's skin but the body could still be seen and it smelled quite bad. Kiba retrieved the vial hold from his bag and placed the vial inside admiring the shimmering blue substance once more before Hotaru took them back to the castle grounds.

Hotaru was absolutely exhausted at that point and fell asleep on the spot. Kiba carried her back to the common room and also went to sleep preparing for the ritual he would have to perform from then on until lightning strikes. When Kiba woke up that morning he didn't waste time, he sat upright and grabbed his wand. He placed the tip to his heart and closed his eyes " _Amato Animo Animato Animagus_ " he whispered. He sat on his bed a while longer before finally opening his curtains and getting dressed. Kiba had intended to go back to London and find a new home but now that he was waiting for lightning he couldn't, Hermione stayed as well, more to keep an eye on Harry but also because she needed the library.

Winter had come quickly and snow began to fall, and Christmas decorations were already being hung up by the teachers in mid December along with the announcement of a second Hogsmeade trip on the last weekend of term before the break. Ron had eaten almost all of his sweets from the last visit and was excited to get more, Hermione wanted to look for a Christmas present for her parents and Kiba just wanted to get Butterbeer in the three broomsticks. Harry of course still wanted to go and thought many times that he could just take his invisibility cloak and join them but figured that he needed a better way.

Kiba once again walked with Hermione closely followed by Ron, Seamus and Dean down towards the village at that final weekend. They headed into Honeyduke's immediately, Ron bought his sweets quickly and Kiba also stocked up a bit. They stood near the unusual tastes shelf debating what sweets they could bring Harry "no, they're probably made for Vampire's" Hermione muttered

"what about Cockroach clusters?" Ron asked

"definitely not" said a fourth voice beside the trio, they all turned and saw the scar bearing wizard

"Harry, how did you?" Kiba asked

"What are you doing here?!" Hermione interrupted "you shouldn't be here, you're going to get in allot of trouble" she added

"Don't worry, i can get back before anyone notices i was even gone" Harry said, he urged his three friends out of the shop and to a nearby bench out of hearing range from the others. "look.. I solemnly swear that i am up to no good" he tapped a piece of parchment with his wand and showed it to the others "it's a live map of Hogwarts. It shows you everyone, where they are, what they're doing, every minute of every day" he explained "and it's also a map for the hidden passages in and out of the castle"

"How did you get that?" Kiba asked

"Fred and George stole it from Filch in their first year, said that i needed it more" Harry replied

"they never told me anything.." Ron complained "I'm their brother"

"You should turn it in Harry" Hermione jumped in

"along with his invisibility cloak, why should he?" Ron asked

"well, what if Black knows if the passages. With this may the teachers could find him" Hermione said convincingly

"mischief managed' Harry said taking the parchment once more. The footprints disappeared and The map turned into an empty parchment "I'm not going to hand it in. Fred said that Filch knows of the passages" he said.

"guys let's head to the three broomsticks" Kiba suggested, seeing that Harry was shivering to the core "bring a coat next time Harry" he added with a smile. The four headed for the pub where they sat down at a table in the back room by the fireplace between the window and a Christmas tree, Ron offered to get their drinks for them just so he could talk to Rosmerta. She was the owner of the three broomsticks, had a curvy body, red hair and a pretty face and Ron turned bead red at the bar as he ordered they're drinks. He soon returned with four foaming tankards of got Butterbeer.

"Merry Christmas!" Harry said raising his tankard

"Merry Christmas" the other three said in unison as they touched tankards. They drank deeply enjoying the taste of the hot liquid that warmed their bodies. With a cold breeze the door to the pub opened and in stepped a familiar face, followed by two more and then a rather large bearded man. Hermione and Kiba quickly pushed Harry underneath the table, Professor McGonagal and Professor Flitwick had just entered the pub along with Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge who took off his green bowler hat and too a seat at a table close to the quartet.

" _Mobiliarbus_ " Hermione whispered causing the Christmas tree to float over to their table and land so they were concealed from the adults. The four we soon joined by Rosmerta herself as they talked about things. Their conversation moved through several topics and then to the Dementors and why they were her.

"necessary precaution, my dear" Fudge said apologetically "but they are here to protect us from worse"

"I still can't really believe it. If all the people to turn to the dark side, i never thought it would be Black" Rosmerta said

"you don't even know the worst of it," McGonagal replied

"What could be worse?"

"Well do you remember who is best friend was?"

"Of course, they were inseparable. They used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, James Potter and Sirius Black" A loud this was hard underneath the table of the students as Harry had dropped his tankard.

"one could have easily taken them for brothers" Flitwick added

"indeed," McGonagal continued "Potter trusted none of his friends more then he trusted Black. That didn't change when they left school, Black was best man at James and Lily's wedding"

"Lily Evans?" Rosmerta asked "i never knew. Black and Potter did pay for her and her friends drinks occasionally, what was her name?"

"Amelia, she and Lily were quite inseparable as well" Hagrid replied

"Amelia…" Kiba muttered under his breath

"but that's not all," McGonagal said "When little Harry was born they named Black his Godfather. Harry doesn't know, of course, think of how it would torment him" McGonagal paused

"Why? Because Black was found to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Rosmerta asked in confusion

"Worse then that, my dear" Fudge began lowering his voice "very few were aware that the Potters knew that You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore was working tirelessly against the Dark lord and had spies who alerted him and he urged the couple to go into hiding under the concealment of the fidelius charm"

"How does that work"

"Very complex spell" Flitwick squeaked "it involves the concealment of a secret within a living soul. The chosen person then becomes known as the secret keeper. If the secret were a location of an object then no one could ever find it even if it stood right before their eyes, unless of course the secret keeper would divulge the information"

"and Black was their secret keeper"

"naturally," McGonagal answered "James thought that Sirius would for rather then better him. Dumbledore however offered to be their secret keeper, he suspected that someone close to the Potters was giving information to You-Know-Who"

"Dumbledore suspected Black?"

"Yes, only a week after the fidelius charm was formed…"

"Black betrayed them.." Hagrid murmured angrily

"But, as we know. You-Know-Who met his downfall at the have of Harry that night" Fudge continued "this left Black in a difficult situation as he had just revealed his true colors"

"filthy turncoat!" Hagrid added "i comforted the lyin' traitor at the house! Almos' gave 'im 'arry too, bu' i was on Dumbledore's orders. If only i'd known it then, i would have taken 'im straight ter Dumbledore" silenced followed

"But he didn't get away, the ministry caught him" Rosmerta said

"If only we had," Fudge corrected her "young Peter Pettigrew, filled with grief, found him first, took him on himself"

"Peter Pettigrew?" Rosmerta asked

"Pettigrew… fat little lump of a boy always taking after Potter and Black. He worshipped the two. But he was never in their league" McGonagal replied, her voice filling with sadness

"Pettigrew died a Hero's death Minerva," Fudge added.

"Black killed him?" Rosmerta questioned the minister

"Black was vicious! He didn't kill Pettigrew.. he destroyed him!" Fudge said "a finger, that's ask that was left of him. A finger" Fudge began to explain the scene of the murder in detail. They Muggles that had died in the explosion and how many ministry officials it took to finally take black down.

"Was he mad?"

"I wish i could say.." Fudge replied "the fall of You-Know-Who unhinged him for a while.. the murder of those Muggles and Pettigrew were the actions of a cornered, desperate man... Cruel and pointless. But i meet him on my last inspection of Azkaban. Most of You-Know-Who's followers sit there, muttering to themselves in the dark. I was surprised at how.. normal he appeared. He spoke to me quite rationally and almost seemed bored, even asked me for my newspaper and if he could do the crossword puzzle. The Dementors seemed to have very little effect on him"

"Why has he broken out then?"

"to rejoin You-Know-Who eventually. He is possibly his most devoted servant. I shudder at what Black might do to bring his master back, and how fast he will rise to power once more" Fudge sat his glass down with a clink. "There you have it, Rosmerta. That is why we need the Dementors here"

"Cornelius, we should head back to the castle" McGonagal said "we'll be in time to dine with the headmaster" one by one the adults left the their table and Harry didn't resurface. The three other stuck their heads beneath the table, Harry sat motionless on all fours stareing at the ground. Kiba couldn't think clearly either, he could fathom how a man could betray his best friend in such a way. Not just his friend, but his godson too… but Kiba couldn't imagine what was going on in Harry's head now. If Black obliterated Pettigrew along with several muggles, how was Harry supposed to survive if he found him?

The four barely spoke a word a they left the pub. Harry returned to Honeyduke's and the other three too the regular path, they were soon reunited in the boys dorm where Harry pulled out a leather book filled with pictures. He didn't even acknowledge the others watching him as he flipped to the picture of his parents wedding day, he traced his finger over the picture from a Woman that he did not recognize to Lily, his Mom, then James, his Dad and then.. Sirius Black. he barely recognized him from the posters. His face wasn't sunken in and waxy, full of rage and madness. No, it was a young handsome face full of laughter and kindness.

He slammed the book shut and stuffed it into his cabinet, still not speaking. "We're going to the feast, Harry." Kiba said carefully "are you coming too?" Harry shook his head lightly as he took off his glasses. The three quickly left the boy to himself and proceeded to the great Hall worrying like never before… Harry wasn't present for breakfast the next morning either and even around lunchtime Harry had still been in his bed leaving the common room empty but for Ron, Hermione and Kiba. They discussed amongst each other about what they should tell him, they figured he wanted revenge after what he had heard, they figured he might do something… unwise.

Eventually Harry came down the stairs, he seemed groggy and as though he hadn't slept for weeks. "where is everyone?" he asked

"It's Christmas break," Kiba answers looking up from his book. He was sitting in oner if the chairs reading with Hotaru on his lap and Crookshanks by his feet near the fireplace. Ron was just there eating sweets and Hermione had her homework spread out over two tables. "were about the only Gryffindor's that stayed"

"It's almost lunch time," Ron added "we were gonna wake you in just a minute" Harry sat down in one of the chairs near the fireplace aswell.

"you really don't look well," Hermione said peering anxiously into Harry's face. She exchanged a quick glance with Kiba before she turned away from her work "Harry. We know your upset because of what we heard yesterday, but you mustn't go do anything stupid"

"Like what?" the black haired boy replied

"Like going after Black" Kiba replied sharply. Harry didn't answer he started absently into the fire.

"do you guys know what i have to hear, every time a Dementor comes near me?" Harry asked, the the shook their head and Harry looked them all dead in the eyes "i hear my Mum.. Screaming, pleading with Voldemort. I can hear him murdering her. You wouldn't forget something like that in a hurry either. And knowing, that someone who was supposed to be their friend had betrayed them, that-"

"there's nothing you can do," Hermione cut him off "the Dementors will find him and he'll go back to Azkaban"

"And you heard what he did to a trained wizard. Pettigrew.." Kiba added "he'd do it to you without even hesitating"

"But he's the reason my parents are dead," Harry retorted "Malfoy knew, remember what he said? He was right, i want revenge"

"it's not what your parents would want Harry" Hermione said in an effort to can Harry down.

"how would you know? They can't have told you" Harry shot back

"Your parents gave their lives for yours, Harry!" Kiba said raising his voice "and gambling their sacrifice for something as stupid as revenge is a poor way to repay them, don't you think?" Harry stared at Kiba angrily without answering.

"Hey, look… it's Christmas, we should relax… and… let's go see Hagrid" Ron said in an attempt to defuse the tention

"You're right, let's go see Hagrid" Harry said getting up "then he can explain why he never told me about Sirius Black" the for grabbed their coats and headed out I'm the snow towards Hagrid's hut. It took several yells and knocks before Hagrid finally opened the door. Hagrid's face was swollen red and his eyes leaked tears like waterfalls. He let the for enter and when they asked what was wrong he slumped down in his chair and bent over his table, sobbing loudly. He pushed a letter towards them which Harry read aloud.

'Dear Mister Hagrid,

Further into our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we gave accepted the assurance of professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mister Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the committee's offices in London on that date in the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

Yours in fellowship,

The Governors of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

The four could only stared at Hagrid. "there must be something we can do" Kiba said breaking the silence

"it's no use" Hagrid sobbed "Them Gargoyles at the committee, they're all in Malfoys pocket, dead scared o' 'im" he added. They all looked at the Hippogriff in the corner of the hutt "if i lose the case, than Buckbeak-" they all knew what it meant.

"were all witnesses," Kiba said "we can vouch for you and Buckbeak. We'll build up a strong defense"

"'fraid there's no witnesses allowed ter come with me"

"what about Dumbledore, can't he do something?" Harry said

"He's got enough on 'is plate as is" Hagrid replied "with keepi' them Dementors outta the castle. Can't stand 'em either" Hagrid shuddered as he thought of the hooded creatures "they make me feel ruddy terrible. Gotta walk past 'em every time i get a drink at the three broomsticks. It's like bein' back in Azkaban" they fell silent as Ron brought over some tea that he had just made to cheer Hagrid up. They all had forgotten that Harry's had been in Azkaban last year, however brief it was.

"is it awful in there, Hagrid?" asked Hermione timidly

"yer have no idea." Hagrid replied stopping to sip his tea. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought i was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind… the day i got expelled from Hogwarts… day me Dad died… day i had ter let Norbert go" Tears filled Hagrid's eyes anew "Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' see the point o' livin' at all. Used ter hope I'd die in me sleep. Gettin' out o' there, it was like bein' reborn. It was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

"but you were innocent" Hermione said

"Think tha' matters ter them?" Hagrid replied "they don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech at the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not… i thought o' lettin' Buckbeak go, sendin' 'im away bu' im scared of breakin' the law" he looked at them with tears flowing down his cheeks "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban" he cried out loudly again as the four Gryffindor's tried to comfort him the best they could. Kiba felt heartbroken as he watched the grown man cry out of sadness and fear alike, and he too didn't want a innocent creature executed because of Malfoy.

'he's going to get it one day..' Kiba thought angrily 'Draco..'

 **\--**

 **AN:** hey, would really love to get some reviews and maybe some character PM's. it would help me keep going at the story. Thanks for Reading!


	30. Chapter 30: The Anonymous Gift

**Chapter 30: The Anonymous Gift**

The visit to Hagrid's hut and the promise the four had made to help him defend Buckbeak had done it's job to distract Harry from what he had heard in the three Broomsticks. Most of their time was spent looking through old cases to see if any creature had ever gotten away and if they could find valuable information to compile for Hagrid. Kiba was woken up one morning by an excited Ron who also threw his pillow at Harry, it was of course the morning of presents. It was Christmas Morning. Harry and Ron had both gotten a jumper from Ron's mom, Mrs Weasley and Kiba saw very few presents at the foot of his bed, not that he expected many.

He himself had bought four rings. They were Scarlett with a Gold looking stripe in the middle, of course representing their house, he had given one to each of his friends and kept one himself. The first parcel he opened was a box of Honeyduke's best Chocolate along with a card from Fay Dunbar, a girl in his year. He had also gotten a card from Parvati and to his surprise from Draco who was still attempting to become friends with Kiba. Then there was a new special Quill he had gotten from Hermione and a box of Cockroach Clusters from Ron, most likely sort of as a joke. There was another card ontop of a last parcel but Kiba stopped before opening it. He had nearly forgotten because of the presents, he reached his wand and placed it to his heart " _Amato Animo Animato Animagus_ " he whispered hoping that Harry and Ron wouldn't hear, to his luck they were to busy admiring one of Harry's presents.

"that's a Firebolt! An actual Firebolt Harry" Ron said with disbelief. "wait until Malfoy sees this, he'll be barking"

"who sent it to you Harry?" Kiba asked as he also admired the broom closely "i don't like flying with brooms, but i think I'd give this one a try, it looks incredible!"

"donno" Harry replied to Kiba's initial question. A chill ran down Kiba's spine, an anonymous gift.. Naturally, Kiba began theorizing as to who might have sent it.

"must've been Dumbledore!" Ron said "he sent the cloak too, remember?"

"He just passed it on," Harry replied "i don't think Dumbledore would risk being accused of favoritism on my behalf"

"I know who," Ron said "Lupin. I mean, he does take a liking to you Harry"

"but if Lupin could afford a Firebolt, he'd be able to afford new robes, don't you think?"

"There is one person who could-" Kiba began, but he was cut off by Hermione who entered the boys dormatory with her ginger cat in her arms.

"Oi! Keep that filthy best out of here" Ron yelled at Hermione. She ignored him and put Crookshanks down on Kiba's bed as she too spotted the broom. Kiba patted the ginger cat beside him who purred affectionately.

"wow, who sent you that Harry?" Hermione asked in astonishment "McGonagal again?"

"no idea" Harry replied "there was no card with it"

"That's odd… i mean, this is a good broom right?" Hermione said

"Good?!" Ron asked "it's the best there is!"

"Anyway, it must be expensive. Who would pay that much in Harry without telling him?" she asked "i think you should tell Professor McGonagal or Dumbledore about it"

"why? It's a perfectly good broom" Ron retorted "can i have a go on it Harry?"

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet" Hermione answered worryingly

"what else is Harry going to do with it?" Ron asked "sweep the common room floor?" he added sarcastically. But before anyone could say anything Crookshanks jumped from Kiba's bed and with one giant pounce flew at Ron's chest. Ron began shouting loudly at Hermione as Crookshanks claws ripped his pyjamas in an attempt to reach Scabbers who Ron was holding high above his head by the tail. "GET - HIM- OU-" he bellowed as he tried to kick the cat, her missed however and instead kicked Harry's truck which opened and spilled out some of its contents along with a sock that contained the Sneakoscope which fell out and opened emotions a high pitched and lots whistle.

Crookshanks turned his attention away from Ron and instead smacked the Sneakoscope with his paw before Hermione picked him up again. She left the dorm quickly as Harry put his trunk back in order. It had been a while since Scabbers was in clear view for both Harry and Kiba and he looked incredibly thin and worn out with patches of fur missing. If Kiba didn't know this Rat he would not know that it was Scabbers at all, he was no longer the fat and slow Rat he had met two years ago. Ron put Scabbers in a safe spot near the foot of his bed before the three left the dorm as well, Harry too along his Firebolt to admire it further in the common room. Hermione could only glare at the two boys that admired the new broom, angry at the fact that they were so careless of mysterious happenings.

Lunchtime came soon and the four headed to the great Hall where they found the long tables stacked against the wall again. In their place was a single table set for twelve. "Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore said as the Gryffindor's approached the table.

"Merry Christmas" Kiba replied sitting down beside Hermione and opposite to Harry. At the table itself were Dumbledore, McGonagal, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, Filch, A nervous first year Hufflepuff and Hagrid who's spirits seemed to be dampened.

"as there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the house tables" Dumbledore explained "crackers!" they all pulled their crackers and were amazed at the sweets and objects that poured out. The first year beside Kiba quivered, Kiba guessed that he is a muggleborn and that magic was new to him. Snape however had gotten a pointy hat with a stuffed vulture from the cracker something that amused the four Gryffindor's. Snape however seemed angry and shoved the hat towards Dumbledore who immediately put it on his head. "tuck in everyone!" he ordered as they all piled their plates with delicious food.

It wasn't long until the doors of the hall flew open and in glided a teacher unknown to Kiba, but he guessed who she was simply by her looks. "Sybil, what a pleasant surprise" Dumbledore said rising from his seat.

"I have been crystal gazing headmaster, and fate had lead me from my tower to join you. Do forgive my lateness" she replied

"Certainly, certainly…. Here let me draw you up a chair" Dumbledore said. Professor Trelawney stood frozen, she counted the heads at the table and even stopped momentarily at Kiba.

"I dare not Headmaster," she said anxiously "if i join the table we shall be thirteen. And never forget, that when thirteen dine together the first to rise, will be the first to die!"

"We'll risk it" McGonagall replied "do sit down, the turkey is getting cold"

Kiba mostly ignored the adult conversation ever so often listening when it seemed interesting. Trelawney was predicting that Lupin wouldn't be teaching for long, as he seemed to be ill regularly and much more, but the conversation seemed normal, surely Trelawney wasn't as delusional as Hermione had said.. it so Kiba thought until the end when Harry and Ron got up to head back to their common room.

"my dear, which one of you left the table first?" Trelawney shrieked. The boys looked at racist and shrugged, they looked to Hermione and Kiba asking if they were coming.

"I'm heading down to the magical creatures with Hagrid" Kiba replied

"I need to talk to Professor McGonagal" Hermione added. The two boys nodded and left the hall. Kiba and Hagrid soon left aswell and tended to some of the creatures, preparing for Hagrid's upcoming lessons after new years. But the day didn't end nicely, Kiba had returned to the common room to find his three friends and McGonagall there. Harry and Ron were fuming and stareing daggers through Hermione's book as McGonagall left the common room with Harry's broom.

"McGonagall agrees with me. What if it was send by black?!" Hermione yelled at the boys.

"what's going on?" Kiba asked

"she told McGonagall about the broom!" Ron said

"so?"

"McGonagall just took it away. Said they had to check it for hexes and jinxes. They're going to strip it down" Harry explained

"but she's Right.. what if Black sent it and jinxed it somehow?" Kiba asked, "put your minds to work, what if it tried to kill you?"

"Why would black buy an expensive broom? Why not just a bomb?" Ron questioned

"I think i did the right thing" Hermione shouted in an effort to defend herself

"Harry will probably never get it back! And it's because of you!" Ron replied angrily. Hermione didn't reply, she promptly stood up and rushed to the spiral staircase to the girls dorm.

"Really?" Kiba said stareing at Ron "you know she's trying to protect Harry, right?"

"I-" Harry began but he was cut off by Kiba

"you'll get the broom back, Harry!" Kiba said "if it's safe you get it back, it's simple. She's just…" Kiba sighed heavily "whatever" he too proceeded to the staircase leaving the yet boys behind. He reached the too and knocked on the door to the girls dorm "Hermione..?"

"what…" the girl replied quietly

"Can i come in?" he asked carefully "i know you ment well" he opened the door slightly and heard to response "Hermione..?" he turned the door at the way and saw her sitting in one of the four-poster beds, she was crying softly as he approached her carefully and sat down beside her. "don't worry, you did the right thing. And those two, then come around, trust me… okay?" he lifted up her chin and made her look at him "they'll realize that it's much more then just an anonymous gift.

Without warning Hermione suddenly seeing her arms around the boy causing him to fall back on the bed, she buried her head in his shoulder and cried. The boy was stunned momentarily, unable to think and move he resorted to whatever he thought was the right thing to do. He gently held her and caressed her back, trying his best to comfort her. Hermione herself couldn't think clearly either, all she could think of was being held, being comforted by Kiba. But she felt something then, with her hand placed on the boys chest she could feel his accelerated heartbeat, but it seemed strange, it was as if there was an echo to it, as if there was a second heartbeat, slightly off tempo to the other but she could feel it beat too. She wanted to ask they boy, but all that escaped get mouth were whimperes and quiet sobs.

But if they were being honest, they didn't want to talk, they didn't want to ask questions. They just wanted to hold the other and fall asleep. ' _I never want this moment to end_ ' They both thought.

Hermione had soon calmed down and Kiba returned too his own dorm where he found the unopened present at the foot of his four-poster, he understood it and found a framed photograph of his mother in an elegant light blue dress along with two men. To her left stood a young Remus Lupin, much less fascial hair then he has now, he wore a black suit and a red tie. But to her right, very close to her stood a young man, a thin line of facial hair along his jawline and shoulder length wavy black hair, he was wearing a red suit with the top buttons of his white shirt left open. He examined the picture but couldn't make out the identity of the man, though he seemed familiar.. like Kiba had seen him before. The black haired man pulled his mother closer and they smiled at each other and then Kiba, Remus adjusted his tie and wanted as he too smiled at him.

He put the picture frame down and opened the card he had received and it had been from Lupin. 'Dear Kiba,

Merry Christmas!

I'd like to wish you that in person but, due to my current illness, i fear it might not be possible. Unfortunately, i also wasn't able to buy much for gifts, but i do hope you've got plenty.

Have a great holiday,

Remus J. Lupin' Kiba smiled, and then it hit him, straight in the forehead. He smacked himself ' _how could i have been so stupid?_ ' he asked himself. He looked at the picture frame beside him picked it up and stuffed it into his nightstand drawer. ' _who sent me that, if not Lupin?_ ' it started to make sense to him then, not only for Harry get a anonymous gift, but Kiba did too.. and what if.. they had both been from Sirius Black?!

New years came and went by as classes resumed. Kiba barely talked to Harry, Ron it Hermione, he was caught in the middle of their feud. Nonetheless Hermione was mostly busy with her work anyways, and Harry was off taking special lessons from Lupin. It wasn't until one evening that he reached the portrait of Ser Cadogan that his hopes were high. He saw Harry and Ron approach it as well with the Firebolt in hand. "good even, my fine young yeomen! This lump in iron is trying to force entry to the chambers within" the Knight said referring to Neville.

"I had the passwords written down, and I've lost them!"

"Oddsbodikins!" Harry said to the portrait and it reluctantly swung open to grant then entry.

"You got it back," Kiba pointed out to Harry "was it jinxed?"

"Nope," Ron replied instead "nothing was wrong with it"

"Point is, isn't it time to make up with Hermione?"

"Your right," Harry added "she was only trying to help. It's like Lupin told me, it's stupid to put a broom over my friend" he walked along with the two as they approached Hermione's table. Harry held out the broom to Hermione with a smile "i got it back, and there was nothing wrong with it"

"that's great Harry.." Hermione said "but there could've been"

"I know, i didn't realize it then. But you were just trying to help" Harry replied "I'd better take it upstairs.."

"let me take it" Ron intervened "I've got to give Scabbers his ready tonic anyways" Ron too the broom carefully and proceeded to the spiral staircase leaving the other three too talk about Hermione's workload, their conversation was cut short however when a shouting Ron came running down the stairs. "when i find that beast, I'll snap it's neck! HERMIONE!" he appeared before the trio holding out the bedsheet he had dragged along "LOOK!" her bellowed

"Ron, what's-" Kiba tried to speak but Ron didn't listen.

"BLOOD! THERE'S BLOOD! AND SCABBERS IS GONE!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence "CAN YOU GUESS WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N-No" Hermione whispered with a trembling voice. Ron threw something on Hermione's papers then, which she backed away from. Harry and Kiba leaned in for a closer look and saw it. Right there on Hermione's rune translations laid a small bush if spikey ginger hairs… Cat hairs!

"YOUR CAT KILLED HIM!"

"He didn't- i mean, he couldn't have.. he's in-"

"HE DID! THE PROOF IS RIGHT THERE!" Ron cut Hermione off pointing to the hairs. He threw the blanket down in the floor and stormed off "I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!" The other two boys stood motionless, they couldn't speak either. Hermione looked devastated and confused at the same time before she too headed up there staircase. Kiba feared that this might be the official end to the quartet, but he didn't want it to. He wanted to be friends with Ron and Hermione, and he wanted them to be friends.. but his hope was lost.

Once again Kiba was caught in the middle of the torn friendship. Harry had sided with Ron due to the unmistakeable evidence pointing to Crookshanks for which Hermione got angry with him too. Kiba avoided any side, and when he was asked he would change the topic. One time he did have a longer conversation about it with Hermione, she had assured him that Crookshanks was in the girls dorm when she checked, she thought that it was impossible that Crookshanks would have gotten out of the girls dorm and into the boys dorm and back. But now Hermione had made sure that Crookshanks was either in her dorm or roaming the grounds but never in the common room alone and unattended.

Now that the Firebolt was in Harry's hand he looked forward to his final practice before the quidditch match that would decide wether Gryffindor would remain in the running for the cup and both Kiba and Ron joined in to watch. During the practice it looked as if Harry was simply toying with the snitch, it barely stood a chance against the speed and agility if the Firebolt, like this the match would be easy. Harry came down to Ron and Kiba just after the practice since he had promised Ron a go on the Firebolt. Ron took off quickly and seemed a bit uncomfortable or scared but soon found his balance as he too zoomed around the pitch.

"Do you want a go on it aswell?" Harry asked

"Nah, I'm fine" Kiba replied "not a big fan of brooms. Besides, i prefer Riding a creature more"

"Really?"

"Yeah, don't you remember? You rode Buckbeak right?" Kiba asked "it it hits different"

"A broom his faster.." Harry added with a smirk.

"Want to put it to the test?"

"what do you mean?"

"whaddya say Hotaru? Wanna race a Firebolt?" Hotaru poked her head out of Kiba's chest pocket and nodded. "from one goal post to the opposite?"

"you're on!" Harry replied. He's mounted his broom and dashed to the sky, Hotaru leaped out of Kiba's pocket and grew in size. She had done it much quicker and more confident then the past time Kiba had seen her do it.

'I've been practicing' she said as Kiba mounted her back 'soon I'll be able to breathe fire and maintain the transformation for prolonged time' she seeing her wings and stopped just above the goal post.

"ready?" Harry asked.

"let's do this!" they waited and Ron shot Sparks from his broom and they were off. With an incredible acceleration Harry sped off as Hotaru swung her wings with all her might she chased after him. The wind roasted in the ears off both boys but Hotaru was faster then Harry soon flying past him and reaching the goal first, but just barely. "that's some acceleration you got Harry!"

"Hotaru beats the Firebolt by top speed though" Harry answered as they both returned to the ground. "Madam Hooch?" the witch had been sleeping in one if the stands and luckily hadn't seen Hotaru as she returned to get normal size and hid in Kiba's pocket. But together with the teacher the three boys returned to the safety of the castle. Time passed quickly as the match approached, unlike Harry's last match there had been no bad weather in the horizons and the chances of a win were looking better then ever. The stands were filled with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike and for a change, the Slytherins were nowhere in sight.

The match had already begun when, to Kiba's relief, Hermione had quietly made her way into the stands beside him. No matter how high the tention between the four were, hermine would always be there for them. It was something that Kiba admired greatly about the girl. The match was excruciatingly tense, the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang had made it her mission to block Harry since she couldn't keep up with the Firebolt, but with some skillful twists and turns Harry evaded her and dashed after the golden snitch. Kinds could only see the reflection of the sun blind him, Harry truly had a great sight for the small ball.

"Oh God!" Hermione whispered out of the blue as she grabbed Kiba's hand tightly, probably more out of instinct then anything else.

"what is it?" Kiba asked

"Look, they're back!" Hermione pointed to the pitch below, and out of nowhere they had appeared. Three Dementors were looming just below Harry. And Harry has apparently seen them too.. Kiba prepared himself, fearing that he might get close to fainting again like he had done the last time, but he didn't feel strange. The Dementors didn't seem to have their usual effect, Kiba watched as Harry pointed his wand down at them and a silvery white substance flowed from it. Harry dashed onward, he suddenly seemed completely out of breath but the Dementors were down, unmoving in the grass. And before anyone could comprehend what had happened Harry was in the ground, snitch firmly in his grasp.

Harry was quickly surrounded, hugged, kissed and celebrated by many Gryffindors and even Lupin joined the circle with the excuse if checking on Harry, Kiba too had gone down. "that was quite the Patronus, Harry" Kiba heard him say quietly to Harry

"sure helped against those Dementors" Harry replied proudly

"well.. um.. don't get me wrong. You did beautifully, but those weren't Dementors" Lupin said scratching the back of his head "you did however give Mister Malfoy quite the fright" he added. They all looked over at the pile of Black robes before McGonagal from which slowly emerged several heads, among them were Flint, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and a few more Slytherins. Kiba saw a triumphant smile creep into the faces of all the Gryffindor's. Not only did they score an important victory, Harry had humiliated the Slytherin team and they would certainly receive punishments.

The party was on in the Gryffindor common room that night, one could've thought they had already won the cup. Fred and George had somehow gotten allot of treats and Butterbeer out of nowhere and everyone joined in on the feast, everyone but one, Hermione. Hermione was impatiently flipping through a book talking to Harry at the same time, Kiba has just grabbed some treats to bring to get when her heard Ron say something loudly, "if Scabbers where here is give him some fudge flies," he said "he loved them!" before Kiba even looked back at Hermione she was gone. Harry looked displeased, and but boys looked to Ron.

"can't you give her a break?!" Kiba asked, a hint of anger detectable in his voice.

"only if she apologized, but she's acting as if Scabbers is on holiday" Ron replied looking to Harry for agreement but the black haired wizard looked away from both the other boys and refused to reply. The party had soon come to an end at the hand of McGonagall who send them all to bed. Kinds performed his spell like he did twice every day and looked out of the window, he saw the clouds in the horizon had darkened he knew that tonight would be the night. His transformation was approaching, he could feel it tingling in his stomach as doubtful thoughts flooded his mind.

' _what if i did something wrong all along? What if i end up as a failed transformation and nobody knows what had happened to him_ ' he thought but he snapped when the clouds cracked and through the dark of the night a bolt of lightning split his thoughts in two. He hadn't come this far to become a quitter. "Hotaru" he whispered "it's time"

'don't you want to put on some clothes?' his companion asked

"No time" Kiba answered impatiently and before he really knew it the two were in the chamber. Kiba knelt down before the potion and placed the tip of his wand to his heart as he had done so many times. The potion had turned blood red when the thunder struck as the book had described it. He closed his eyes and focused, his double heartbeat louder then ever " _Amato Animo Animato Animagus_ " he lowered his wand and grabbed the vial. With one quick chug he drank the potion and waited.

Once more he heard the crack of thunder above him and he felt his heartbeat accelerate at an alarming rate. His stomach began to burn with a searing pain and his hearts felt like they'd burst through his ripcage. In his mind he saw the vague outline of an animal. Ears, legs, eyes shimmering pink in the dark, but what exactly it was kind couldn't see, the pain was unbearable and the boy could only let out a haunting cry if pain before his mind went blank.

 **\--**


End file.
